Dirty Dancing – Sunderland Empire

Writer: Eleanor Bergstein

Director: Federico Bellone

From the pre-show image of the Kellerman’s Mountain House resort sign to the iconic closing scene at the end-of-season show, fans of the classic 1987 romance movie will get everything they want and expect from this show. The much-loved characters, the famous lines, and of course the dancing including THAT lift. The standing ovation at the end is practically baked into the production before the house lights fade, not that the cast shouldn’t be given a little credit also.

From the opening moments the audience is in no doubt that dance is front and centre in this show. Choreography by Austin Wilks sparkles and steams in equal measure throughout with the necessary moments borrowed directly from the film and the rest perfectly complementing these set pieces. A fantastic ensemble delivers this beautifully as well as acting as costumed stagehands to move props and scenery where needed, certainly earning their pay! This helps to keep the set – designed by the productions director Federico Bellone – simple but effective while ensuring there’s always space for the dancing to shine. A special mention goes to the clever design and staging for the memorable scene in which Baby and Johnny are practicing the lift in the water.

Alongside the dancing, music is a big part of people’s love for the movie, and all the hits are here presented as a mix of original recordings and the excellent “Kellerman’s Band” who play on and off stage. This isn’t billed as a musical and it isn’t in the most traditional sense, but does include performances from some cast members intertwined, including a great turn from Asher Forth, who plays Johnny’s cousin Billy, singing In the Still of the Night (I’ll Remember). Forth also takes on the Bill Medley part of the song everyone is there to hear and see, (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, alongside Mimi Rodrigues-Alves playing Elizabeth, a character created for the stage show.

The book is written by Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote and co-produced the original film. Much of the script is taken directly from there, though Bergstein has taken the opportunity to add elements which were excluded for various reasons, including references to the US civil rights movement. This doesn’t change the narrative in any way, and the predictable story plays out pretty much as it does in the film, making sure that the audience leaves having seen exactly what they came to see.

Charlie Varlet as Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is a delight. She navigates Baby’s journey beautifully, from an innocent girl who adores her father and believes she can change the world through determination alone to a young woman who must start to come to terms with the fact that the world isn’t perfect and neither are the people in it.

The part made famous by the late Patrick Swayze, Johnny Castle, is played here by Joel Benjamin and he manages to make the part his own despite having to deliver such iconic lines. Benjamin is a magnificent dancer and doesn’t shy away from using his body to superb effect – a hard-earned body which is also used to elicit quite the audience reaction on more than one occasion.

Ellie Ferguson performs as Penny Johnson, Johnny’s long-time dance partner. As the winner of the first series of The Greatest Dancer, it’s very clear why she’s here, with legs for days, flexibility to make an elastic band jealous, and a dance presence that will have you not wanting to blink.

There are excellent moments of comic relief from Cormac Diamond as Neil Kellerman and India Chadwick as Baby’s sister Lisa Houseman, as well as Matthew Lloyd Daniels as wallet thief Mr Schumacer.

For a show which is essentially a bums-on-seats guarantee catering to familiarity and nostalgia, this hits that brief while still being worth a watch for those who perhaps haven’t seen the film a hundred times.

Runs until 26 September 2026