Stepping Out

Remotegoat.com review by Julia Taylor

 Stepping Out, Richard Harris’s comedy about a group of would-be tap dancers who practise in a church hall, has timeless appeal. Set in the 1980s it has little to do with the group’s prowess at dance or lack of it, but more to do with their ability to tackle life’s problems. Laura Chandler’s Mavis, their enthusiastic, ex-professional dance teacher, has problems herself but puts them on hold to nurture her pupils so they can perform at a charity do. .Laura is, in fact, an excellent dancer who performs an unforgettable tap solo. Her style of teaching is forceful and realistic. She makes the cast not just step out but stand out. I suspect that all of them are just as good as Chandler but they do an excellent job of hiding it to appear as clod hopping beginners. The token male among the eight learners is played by newcomer, Kevin Proctor. His Geoffrey is the most ham footed of them all. In real life Proctor is a choreographer and, although not listed as such, I suspect he offered his expertise to the other dancers.  A close runner up in the graceless stakes is Ros Greenwood’s Andy who carries a torch for him. She’s a serious specky four eyes type. Dawn Flint’s Vera wears glamorous clothes but, under the skin she is anything but. In fact, she is a nosey, self-centred snob. Another interesting character is Lise Nivern-Banks’ garish Liverpudlian Sylvia. She deservedly gets a lot of laughs from her unladylike actions. The beauty of this production is the interaction of the characters. Mavis’s relationship with her cantankerous pianist is a good example. Christine Perry captures well her staid personality and often makes the audience laugh especially in the way she walks. The last scene is the best but I won’t give the game away on that. Star rating - ***