Dirty Dancing Edinburgh Playhouse

If you are ready to have ‘The Time of Your Life’ and “Owe it All to Me” then get your tickets for Dirty Dancing right away! This live replication of the 1987 movie featuring the ever handsome Patrick Swayze will leave your feet tapping and your hips swaying.

It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On holiday at Kellermans with her older sister and parents, ‘Baby’ shows little interest in the resort activities, once she discovers her own entertainment; after she carried a watermelon into the staff quarters where an all-night dance party is in full swing she’s left mesmerised by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms and ‘Baby’ can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially once she sets eyes on Johnny Castle, the resort dance instructor.
Gareth Bailey with his shirt off grinding and swinging to ‘Do You Love Me’ will certainly keep the audience engaged as they feel confident in knowing what’s coming, and happily demonstrate their eager anticipation of each moment. Hence the reason they go wild when Johnny marches through the audience and throws his bag on the stage! However he isn’t the only stand out character – there’s a fantastic performance from Roseanna Frascona and her many talented dancers.

The stage and lighting are highlights in this production. Everything from the fallen tree trunk scene to the attempted lift in the lake is reproduced perfectly and with a wonderfully light humorous touch.

Whether your going for a ‘girly sing-along’ experience or not you will not be disappointed with this production as long as you remember “Nobody puts Baby in the corner!”

Jodi Robertson