Hot pants galore: Head down to Kenneth More Theatre for a performance of Fame
fame cast - Credit: Archant
Grab your leg warmers, slogan T-shirts and a cup of ambition and let Kenneth More Theatre transport you on a journey from Ilford to the streets of New York.
The Ilford Operatic and Dramatic Society (IODS) will be performing the classic ‘80s show Fame and director Jeremy Smith said the show will be full of songs and dance all the way through.
“The shows are often as good quality as the shows you see in the west end,” he said.
“It’s a cracking night’s entertainment – you can sit in the theatre in the dark, enjoy the performance and escape the drudgery of everyday life.”
From first day nerves to graduation, the play follows the journey of a group of vibrant and energetic young people studying at New York City’s High School of Performing Arts.
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They discover it takes more than just dreams to achieve their ambitions and have to work though a range of issues, including drug abuse and failed relationships.
Jeremy said: “Rehearsals have gone really well and I am lucky to have such a talented group of young people to work with.
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“We are definitely going to have a good show on our hands and we are at the stage where we have learnt the lines and are running through it.”
Many of the members of IODS have gone on to work in the West End, on such shows as Les Miserables, The Bodyguard and Tell Me On a Sunday, but the director said they often come back to watch the latest youth productions.
“We have had a fair number who have gone on to perform professionally and we have been lucky to have those youngsters come to us in the formative year,” he said.
“They have gone on to bigger things and gone off to act around the world, so it’s fantastic when they come back and remember us.”
Jeremy said the production keeps true to the decade and there are plenty of leg warmers and hot pants flying around the set.
He added: “It’s a team effort getting it all together, so it’s great seeing the end project after we have all worked on it for three months.
“I love directing – the best bits are developing the children and thinking about how to create the whole project on stage.
“It’s great seeing audiences enjoy it and as performers all we want is laughter and applause.”
Fame will run at the Kenneth More Theatre, Oakfield Road, Ilford, from March 17-19.
Call 020 8553 4466 or visit kmtheatre.co.uk.
