AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: Dogfight - The Theatre, Students' Union Building, Manchester.

'Dogfight' is a 2012 Musical based on the 1990's film of the same name, which centres around a group of three young GIs who play a 'game' on their last night in America before being sent over to fight in Vietnam. The 'game' in question involves putting a sum of money in a pot, and the one who can successfully date the ugliest girl, wins the pot. This story is told in one long flashback sequence, as the protagonist, Eddie Birdlace, travels by bus to San Francisco (the city where it all happened), reliving these experiences in his memory, in the knowledge that he is the only one of his group returning to the US alive. 

As usual, UMMTS [The University Of Manchester Musical Theatre Society] tackled this show with verve and relentless energy. The membership of the society is open to any current student of the university, and many of the members come from diverse subject areas, and are simply doing musical theatre as a hobby, and yet, the society always manages to find suitable and appropriate cast, and simply blow my socks off every time! Sometimes, their energies and creativities are a little misdirected - but they are students, they are learning the trade as they go along, and even the seasoned pros don't get it right every time!

Eddie was played this evening by a very personable, quite sullenly brooding, but sincere Aaron Stace, who chances upon a plain and plump waitress in the diner he enters, Rose, and realises straight away that she would be the perfect 'date' for his dogfight game; played here with a plaintive and very human edge by the talented Francesca Wolfin. Edie realises as the date goes along that there is much more to Rose than meets the eye, and they slowly start to fall in love, despite the horrid way in which he eagerly took advantage of  he naivety. Their growing relationship and onstage chemistry was delightful and very realistic. Whilst Wolfin's lovely singing voice proved to be the cherry on the icing.

The other two couples in this deplorable game were Bernstein (Daniel Garvin), Boland (Ned Blackburn), Marcy (Ella Kendrick), and Mama (Casey Bell). as well as a small ensemble of GIs and other much smaller cameos. This was a full-on, no-punches-pulled production which started at the jugular and never let go. 

Directed by Lauren Dalboth, characterisations and energy levels were switched to the max, sadly though the staging was not optimal for such a show. A large area of the stage had been made into a large dais for the large band to perform on, leaving only half the space the society normally use for the action to take place upon. What might have been a nice 'feature' for this show was actually its downfall. Instead of creating the Big Band atmosphere which might have worked well... it just looked cramped and was at times simply too loud and overpowering. Had Dalboth made the band into a centre-piece and had the audience seated at tables - cabaret seating - all around, the action taking place amongst us, we would have been far more complicit in the enfolding drama, and we would also have been more immersed in the era of the show too. As it was, seated on the front row, the cast were so close that they were standing on my feet (literally).

This was the first time I have ever seen this show, and it has piqued my curiosity now to see how a West End version might approach the narrative, it isn't exactly PC these days, but does have a good message and happy ending. A little like 'Hairspray' in this regard. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 30.3.23