The cast of this production are good actresses and each do their best to flesh out a play that, to be frank, has not stood the test of time.
Amanda Holden as snobbish bossy boots Vera does excel in her role, as does Tracy-Ann Oberman as the brassy Maxine. But somehow the whole thing is rather disjointed.
The story sees a group of women and one man, played by Dominic Rowan, meet up on a regular basis to take a tap class, and as the story unfolds the audience gets to find out about their lives.
There are some tender and funny moments but unfortunately I didn’t feel any empathy towards these characters. And as the play drew to its closure I sincerely wanted the finale to save the day; when it came to the crucial moment, however, it was a bit lack lustre and laboured.
Maria Friedman’s production does offer a good insight into female-to-female relationships where, by attending the tap classes, these women are escaping the mediocrity of their daily lives. A good show all-round, I just wanted the whole thing to have a bit more of a wow factor.
****
Stepping Out runs until 17 June at the Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, London, WC2R 0NH. Book tickets via steppingoutplay.com.
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