An Officer and a Gentleman – Manchester Opera House

Writer: Douglas Day Stewart

Adaptor: Sharleen Cooper Cohen

Director: Nikolai Foster

It became a cult classic in 1982, with Richard Gere and Debra Winger taking on the leading roles – creating an unforgettable Hollywood moment when the officer sweeps the factory worker right off her feet.

The original writing by Douglas Day Stewart got a makeover by Sharleen Cooper Cohen for the stage, premiering in Australia in 2012 at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney – and that’s what has recently flown into Manchester Opera House to get audiences in the romantic spirit.

It tells the same story that audiences have grown to know and love, with the same set of characters. And integrated among the storylines are songs from icons such as Madonna, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper and Blondie – including Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Livin’ On a Prayer, Material Girl and of course the infamous Up Where We Belong.

The plot follows office candidates on their journey in the Aviation Academy and their trials and tribulations as they navigate the strict leadership of Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (Jamal Kane Crawford) and the distractions of the local girls – some of who are genuine and some who want a flight right out town. Zack Mayo (Luke Baker) starts as the boy with the bad attitude, but with perseverance and grit lands himself the dream career and the dream girl Paula Pokrifki (Georgia Lennon) – it’s their love story that’s captivated the nation. Sid Worley (Paul French) and Lynette Pomeroy’s (Sinead Long) romance is the more heartbreaking one, which shows that love does not always lift us up where we belong.

Now, for hardcore fans, it’s sure to be a hit – and the final scene (although cheesy) is enough to get you cheering, whooping and longing for your own officer hat. But, despite satisfying with the ending and some powerful moments in the second half, there is a feeling of repetitiveness throughout the show, which means it’s easy to get distracted and less immersed in the production as you would like.

With ballad after ballad, the tempo of the piece can at times feel slow and there is no choreography that really blows you away – a lot of dramatic walking to the front of the stage to belt out vocals and the occasional ensemble moment. All the performers clearly are very talented, with strong delivery of their numbers, but arrangements feel quite samey throughout and while you can hear some impressive vocals, they are often overwhelmed by the music. By turning microphones up and giving more power to the performers, there would be more scope to create electricity.

The exception to this is the rendition of Family Man by French. This actor has recently performed in the UK tour of Annie as sleazeball Rooster. He was memorable then and he’s memorable now – a true triple threat talent, who is one to watch. He gives that number his absolute all and you can feel the passion and charisma oozing out of him. Most definitely the best thing about this show.

The set is simple but effective – with an industrial feel and a rolling platform that can be moved across the stage to create lots of varying scenes – from the nightclub, to the training ground, to the bedroom.

Perfect for lovers of the film, the musical production certainly offers nostalgia and charm – and it does get stronger after the interval. But with forgettable musical moments, a lack of diversity in its set list and not enough opportunity to really get to know each character, it’s simply not enough to sweep you off your feet.

Runs until 4 May 2024.