The main problem with staging Amanda Whittington’s play about three couples who try to make the final of the British amateur dance championships is finding half a dozen actors who are also credible dancers.
Director Lilac Yosiphon has come up with a fabulous cast for this latest version of Kiss Me Quickstep. The production requires the cast to display precision, versatility and elegance. I’m only an occasional viewer of the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing, but on the evidence of the performance I saw at Derby Theatre, all six would grace television screens on a Saturday evening.
Kiss Me Quickstep had its première at Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre in 2016. I remarked then that the piece seemed under-developed, with the dancing being more prominent than the conflict between the couples.
Now, Whittington has reimagined the script, moving it from Stoke-on-Trent in 2016 to Derby in 2025. The choreography is new, as is most of the music. The result, as Craig Revel Horwood might exclaim, is “fab-u-lous”.
When Whittington was awarded a writing bursary to research a new piece of work, she went to Blackpool for its annual dance festival. The result was Kiss Me Quickstep, and this new version vividly depicts the chaos backstage as competitors struggle to find somewhere to change.
But the main focus is on the personal trials the dancers have to go through as they sometimes obsessively pursue their dreams.
Kiss Me Quickstep starts with the first couple arriving at the Empress Ballroom, Blackpool: Luka and Nancy. Luka, strongly portrayed by Jabez Sykes with an authentic Russian accent, is partnered with Nancy. She’s delightfully played by Clair Gleave as an ambitious young woman who’s always striving to escape from the shadow of her domineering father Mick.
Jason Furnival gives a towering interpretation of Mick, who will stop at nothing to ensure that Nancy is successful and believes money is the answer to any difficulty. “We’re not here for larking about,” he tells Luka as the two of them take an instant dislike to each other.
Perhaps the best pairing is Ashley Gilmour as Justin and Hollie Jane Stephens as Jodie, not just because of their dancing but due to their constant bickering. Breaking down on the hard shoulder of the M6 doesn’t crash their determination to succeed, although an injury and financial problems come close. Their unshakeable resolve underlines how seriously and passionately some couples regard what is after all a hobby.
The third couple appear to have everything going for them, but there’s another painful story behind the sequins and sparkle. Matthew Jeans shines as the imperious Lee who wants his partner to be just as focused as he is. Isabel Snaas shows vulnerability as Samantha who’s not as confident as she initially seems, and a voyage of self-discovery threatens to get in the way of her dancing.
This version of Kiss Me Quickstep details the emotional sacrifices dancers have to make if they’re to become winners. It might not get top marks from everyone, but it’s worth a nine on most people’s scorecards. It was such a pity there weren’t more people in the auditorium on the night I saw it.