REVIEW: Show pays tribute to hit film... A Night of Dirty Dancing the Ultimate Tribute Show - Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

Any tribute show faces the difficulty of trying to please established fans and this one – not to be confused with Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage – is no different

Using the stage of the Kellerman’s end of season talent show to string together the 1987 hit film’s most memorable songs and scenes, its 10-person cast paid comedic homage to the cult classic.

Darius J James and Dasha Verbol impressed as dance partners Johnny Castle and Penny Johnson, delivering a captivating performance in the first half, while Eloise Grey was most convincing as Baby and demonstrated a stand-out voice throughout.

All the cast displayed energy and enthusiasm, but none more than Sophie Elizabeth as Lisa Houseman and Will Norton as Max Kellerman who were responsible for delivering the bulk of the humour.

This often felt forced, however, with unnecessary attempts at toilet humour and tedious references to the same ‘Ron’ gag.

The inclusion of some songs unrelated to the film didn’t really work, nor did interrupting the show to allow the cast to take ‘a selfie’ with the audience, which left one wondering why they didn’t just wait until the end.

All in all, though there was some room for improvement, the show was entertaining and its talented cast enjoyable to watch.