Footloose
★★★★☆ Great entertainment
Church Hill Theatre: Tue 31 Mar – Sat 4 Apr 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
Edinburgh Music Theatre’s Footloose at the Church Hill is notably well-staged, energetic and highly enjoyable.
The 1998 musical – book by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, music by Tom Snow, lyrics by Pitchford – is based on Pitchford’s screenplay for the fondly-remembered 1984 film, and adds songs to the well-known ones from the movie’s soundtrack.
A scene from EMT’s production of Footloose. Pic Adamantia Tserkezoglou.
As well as showing its age, the storyline is an odd one for a musical. A town where secular music is frowned upon, and dancing banned outright, sits oddly as the backdrop for an all-singing, all-dancing affair.
The musical also tones down some of the extremism of the original – no book burning, for example. City boy Ren McCormack, who wants to bring back dancing, is a likeable cheeky chappie rather than a brooding outsider, and it is accordingly difficult to see why he gets everyone’s backs up so much.
Characters are constantly defined by what other people tell us they are like rather than by anything they say or do, and much of the drama happens offstage. It’s understandable that the movies’ iconic ‘chicken’ tractor scene isn’t depicted in the musical, but so much happens elsewhere and then gets reported, that you wonder if this is the only musical that wants to follow the decorum rules of French classical drama.
concentrate on the spectacle
The best productions of Footloose, then, tend to be ones that don’t attempt to take it too seriously, and instead concentrate on the spectacle.
This is what happens here, with Flick Hannah’s choreography a definite highlight. A huge ensemble are beautifully in sync and the routines are imaginative and sharp, culminating in one of those extended curtain calls that now seem obligatory; would that they were all as inventive and enjoyable as this one.
A scene from EMT’s production of Footloose. Pic: Adamantia Tserkezoglou.
Clare Wootton’s direction is sympathetic and clear, with more humour extracted from the piece than is often the case. Sean Vannet’s Ren is lively and likeable, while Tara McCullough, as the rebellious preacher’s daughter Ariel, has considerable presence and a strong voice.
Joshua Clarke, as the rock’n’roll-hating preacher Rev Moore, brings an upright dignity to a role that can come across as one-dimensional. Joanne Cairncross (his wife Vi) also fleshes out an underwritten character, with her performance of Can You Find It In Your Heart particularly effective in the way she brings pathos and drama to the song.
clear and evocative
There is also a very effective performance of Learning To Be Silent featuring Vi, Ariel and Ren’s mother Ethel (the impressive Denise Treanor), which is exceptionally clear and evocative. While the sound throughout is pretty good, solo songs are sometimes overshadowed by a combination of the band and a praiseworthy determination to maintain the accent. Full chorus numbers, meanwhile, can sometimes have a muddy element to the sound.
That a trio seems to be the sweet spot is further reinforced by an excellent rendition of Somebody’s Eyes, performed by Ariel’s friends Rusty (Sarah-Louise Donnelly), Urleen (Anna Spence) and Wendy-Jo (a terrifically funny Wallis Hamilton Carmichael).
A scene from EMT’s production Footloose. Pic: Adamantia Tserkezoglou.
The three of them also provide sterling support to McCullough on a wonderfully staged Holding Out For A Hero. Donnelly supplies possibly the evening’s best vocal performance on Let’s Hear It For The Boy, which also benefits from some remarkable physical comedy by the Hen Broon-channelling Matthew Colquhoun as Willard.
Robbie Noble’s Chuck gives off suitable bad-guy vibes, while a variety of smaller roles are discharged with wit and energy.
not a weak link
There’s not a weak link in the ensemble as a whole, but special mention must go to Ella Gordon as roller diner owner Betty Blast.
Lucas Milton’s lighting design and the sound design of Blue Parrot Ltd are more than adequate, while MD Emily Paterson leads a band that is tuneful and unflagging. The lower-tempo numbers often provide a problem in such productions, but here they are done with clarity and sensitivity.
A scene from EMT’s production of Footloose. Pic: Adamantia Tserkezoglou.
Credit must also go to the band for perseverance during Ren and Ariel’s romantic duet Almost Paradise, where a somewhat questionable use of effects leads to an orchestra pit completely swamped by fog.
There are few such unfortunate choices, however, in a production of real pace, where the scene changes are handled quickly and gracefully. There is a definite slacking of the pace in the second half, but this just reinforces how effective the first act has been. Throughout the evening, there is great enjoyment to be had in a production that is technically impressive and genuinely is tremendous fun.
Running time: Two hours and 30 minutes (including one interval)
Church Hill Theatre, 40 Morningside Road, EH10 4DR
Tuesday 31 March – Sunday 4 April 2026
Evenings at 7.30 pm; Matinee Sat at 2.30 pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Company website: https://edinburghmusictheatre.co.uk/
TikTok: @edmusictheatre
Facebook: @edmusictheatre
Instagram: @edmusictheatre
A scene from EMT’s production of Footloose. Pic: Adamantia Tserkezoglou.
ENDS
