Broadway’s revolutionary, singular sensation is back and touring the UK! Made in house at Curve, Leicester, Nikolai Foster’s production of A Chorus Line garnered much praise during its initial run over the festive period, 2021. Cut to Summer 2024 and here we are in Manchester, once again examining a day in the lives of seventeen dancers, all of whom are desperately vying for a spot in the “chorus line” of a Broadway musical. Zach, the director and choreographer, (played diligently by Adam Cooper) asks each dancer to speak about themselves. Discomfort opens into revelation as the process delves into the backstories of the auditionees, building to a rousing dreamscape of a finale- an uninterrupted- and sometimes intense- 110 minutes later.

Since its inaugural performance in 1975, A Chorus Line has seen multiple incarnations performed on an international stage. But what sets this performance apart from its predecessors? There’s enough here to keep the purists happy- you can absolutely expect to see a gold top hat (or 17) in the finale. However, this is a bold reimagining that follows a recent trend in stripping material back to its organic state. Grace Smart’s minimal set design utilises the vast stage at The Lowry as lighting rigs (with effective lighting design by Howard Hudson) frame the action- creating moments of claustrophobia whilst, in the next breath, freeing the space to allow for Ellen Kane’s choreography to take its rightful place at the forefront of the spectacle. She is respectful towards Michael Bennett’s acclaimed original choreography and, from the synonymous call of ‘a 5,6,7,8!’ and the somewhat infamous opening bars that follow, Kane’s work envelopes Marvin Hamlisch’s beloved original score.

The large ensemble cast work relentlessly to place each movement with synchronicity; lines are clean and well-executed. Their vocals are often, and somewhat ironically, best placed when singing as a chorus, though there are standout performances to be found here.

Redmand Rance’s turn as Mike Costa is flawless- not one beat is missed, and his portrayal is effortless- almost as though the routines are performing him as opposed to vice versa.

As Val Clarke, Chloe Saunders rinses every last drop out of the role. Her material is naturally scene stealing (in a show with such a busy narrative structure, it’s easy to remember the song about tits and ass) but it is delivered so perfectly, and with enough tonality to steer well clear of the risk of being overbearing.

Jocasta Almgill is tasked with the somewhat precarious task of leading the almighty 11 o’clock number. Not played safely, her vocal choices are fresh and bring life to the classic, ‘What I Did for Love’. Though it’s during Montage Part II’s ‘Nothing’ that she truly comes into her own.

Throughout the show, each character is, quite literally, given their moment in the spotlight as they are beamed onto a solitary screen in the top left-hand pocket of the stage. At its best, this works harmoniously with the lighting design and provides moments of intense personal connection with the characters- especially given the sizeable nature of the performance space. At times though, this borders on distracting and leaves you questioning whether it is used effectively enough to warrant its existence. (Much of the same can be said for the limp pyrotechnics in the finale…)

On the whole though, this is a well-conceived production of a Broadway juggernaut which changed the musical theatre landscape of the time- and it’s still one sensational show!

A Chorus Line plays at The Lowry until Saturday 27th July before continuing to tour the UK. Further information can be found here.

Gifted in exchange for an honest review.

Photography by Marc Brenner.