Dirty Dancing

It was just another summer vacation... but it turned out to be the time of her life

Dirty Dancing the Musical - the stage show - is based on the 1987 film Dirty Dancing which starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey and was set in 1960s America.

The story of Dirty Dancing the Musical takes place at a holiday resort called Kellerman's in Catskill, New York during the summer of 1963 and centres around the relationship between daddy's girl, Frances 'Baby' Houseman, and a talented, intense and handsome dance instructor, Johnny Castle. Summer of 1963 is endless with everyone having 'the times of their lives' and true love teaching the world the healing power of dance.

"This is a show that will give keen pleasure to Dirty Dancing addicts and to newcomers alike"
The Independent

In April 2006 the producers of Dirty Dancing in London announced that over £3 million worth of tickets had been sold in the first six weeks of tickets going on sale. A spokesperson for the show said: "This show has become the fastest to achieve such a level of sales in such a short period of time - this is unprecedented demand."

Please Note: Parental guidance is advised. The show features a limited amount of mild swearing and themes of a sexual nature. Persons under 16 years of age will strictly not be admitted unless accompanied by an adult of 18 years of age or older. Children under five years of age and babes in arms will strictly not be admitted.

"Brilliantly staged" The Times

"It's all here. Just as every word is in place ('Our Baby's going to change the world; Lisa's going to decorate'; 'It's not just a step, it's a feeling'), so James Powell's slick production faithfully stages all the films magic moments with the help of video projections." The Mail on Sunday

"A gorgeous feat of dance - spectacular" The Financial Times

"Essentially, this is about recreating the 1980s movie where Baby - a nice daddy's girl - has a summer-camp romance with her muscly, mamboing dance instructor, Johnny... Georgina Rich's Baby has just the right gawkiness and teenage courage while Josef Brown's Johnny falls for her with very persuasive passion." The Independent on Sunday

"This pulsating, dynamically choreographed production offers something distinct and more intimate than the celluloid experience" The London Evening Standard

"The dancing was good, especially between Johnny (Josef Brown) and Penny Johnson (Nadia Coote). Georgina Rich as Baby has a kooky charm: a shy and awkward everygirl, she stands out from the slick and swivelling troupe of dancing pros." The Sunday Times

The author of Dirty Dancing Eleanor Bergstein said about the stage musical version: "Most of the audience will know the story well, very often by heart, and the great new pleasure we can give them is the sense that what they know and love is still in front of them, but by virtue of being here at this live performance, they are experiencing more of it in a more intense and personal way. We will try to make our audience feel that they are guests at Kellerman's, living inside the story, involved in the action instead of watching from a distance in a darkened room wishing they could be there... We will add to the excitement of live theatre by adopting the fast paced rhythms and textures of cinematic time cuts and juxtapositions. We will accomplish the fluid transition of scenes by shifting focus to another part of the stage where something else - something new and surprising - is also happening. A number of scenes have been added that take place before, after, or at the same time as the scenes that our loyal fan base remembers. This allows us to expand the movie while still remaining faithful to its natural rhythm and flow.... By the end of the evening, the audience will have had a live adventure in a world that is larger, fuller and closer than the movie they have come to know. They have been granted full physical access to Baby and Johnny's world, and with the live music, expanded characters and additional scenes, a sense of surprise is added to a story they thought they knew by heart. It's like having extra days at Kellerman's."

Dirty Dancing in London at the Aldwych Theatre previewed from 28 September 2006 amd opened on the 24 October 2006.