Stepping Out
★★★☆☆ Feel good
Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre (Venue 83). Sat 3 – Sat 17 Aug 2024
Review by Florence Cruickshanks
Leitheatre has been performing on the Fringe for 40 years and this year’s show, Stepping Out at Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre, is of an appropriate vintage, although its plot is in no way dated.
Richard Harris’s award winning comedy was written in 1984 and filmed in 1991, starring Liza Minelli and Julie Walters. Billed as a as a heart-warming comedy, under the direction of Phil Wilson, the Leitheatre production explores some of the darker sides of its characters’ lives.
Susan Duffy and Jennie Davidson. Pic Eric Whitelaw.
The play is set during a weekly dance class. It is a time when the eight dancing class members, their teacher and the pianist can temporary escape from their lives. Helped by skilful choreography from Rona Anderson, members of the cast rise to this challenge with enthusiasm.
As the play progresses, the darker secrets of some class members are revealed, and the reasons behind some of the less pleasant aspects of their behaviour become clear.
disappointments
Sophie Williams as Mavis, the teacher, is using the class as a means of forgetting her career disappointments; Maxine, played by Susan Duffy, has developed an over-active extrovert personality to compensate for an empty home life and Jennie Davidson plays Rose, who is dancing to distract herself from concerns about her problem son.
Linda Thomson and Sophie Williams. Pic Eric Whitelaw.
Jane Black is Vera, whose compulsive cleaning activities initially cause irritation and resentment among her peers, but who is finally accepted by the group when her problems are revealed. Then there is Mrs Fraser, the pianist, played by Irene Cuthbert, whose curmudgeonly behaviour hovers like a black cloud over the group’s activities, and Dougie Arbuckle as enigmatic Geoffrey, the only man in the class, whose presence is never explained.
quality
Able support is provided by Alison Kennedy, Laura Thomson, Linda Thomson and Sammi Watson. In addition to the quality of the performances, the production is well supported by a large team who, one feels, have enjoyed the challenges of this play.
Jane Black, Alison Kennedy, Dougie Arbuckle, Susan Duffy and Sammi Watson. Pic Eric Whitelaw
Norma Malcolm and Fiona Robertson are responsible for the progressively spectacular costumes. The very effective set design and lighting are by, respectively, Derek Blackwood and Mark Hajducki.
Running time: Two hour and 30 minutes (including one interval)
Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre, 1A Clark Road, EH5 3BD (Venue 83)
Saturday 3 – Saturday 17 August August 2024
Week days: 7.30pm; Sats: 2.30pm; no perf Sun
Details and tickets at: Book here.
Leitheatre Website: www.leitheatre.com
Facebook: @Leitheatre
Instagram: @leitheatre
X: @ LeitheatreEdin
Alison Kennedy, Laura Thomson, Linda Thomson, Jane Black, Dougie Arbuckle, Susan Duffy, Sammi Watson, Sophie Williams and Irene Cuthbert. Pic Eric Whitelaw.
ENDS
