Worthing: roaring 20s setting for dance version of Faust

It plays the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing on Tuesday, September 19.

Spokesman Rob Lawson said: “Set in a prohibition-era nightclub, Southpaw Dance Company’s production of Speakeasy retells Goethe’s story of Faust, a man who quite literally loses his soul. Faust doesn’t realise the club he’s walked into is owned by the Devil and populated by his demons, including the charismatic barman, Mephistopheles.

“Drinking, gambling, womanising and general debauchery make the speakeasy the perfect place for a man to lose his soul as we see when Faust is manipulated – to both comic and tragic effect – into a deal with the Devil.

“The tale is told through the physical and narrative dance style for which Southpaw has become renowned. The show features a fusion of world-class breakdance combined with Lindy Hop, Charleston and swinging big band music. Flaming cocktails, burning boxing rings and an explosive set combine with world-class dance skills and authentic 20s styling to provide an experience not to be missed. Southpaw’s professional dancers will be joined by members of the local amateur dancing community for sections of the show.”

Robby Graham, director of Southpaw and choreographer of Speakeasy, said: “We last toured the show when the country was coming out of the last lockdown, but we’ve added so much to it since then. It’s going to be more of a spectacle with a whole new projection mapping system and infra-red cameras recreating smoke and fire. So we’ve got some really good tech and we’ve also developed the set to give it more movement. It was always a great show, but we’ve had the time to develop it further. It was originally developed in 2015-16 – the legend of Faust is such a good story that it lends itself to dance, and in particular Southpaw’s brand of dance.

“We’re really looking forward to the tour and can promise audiences something a bit different – and the type of quality you’d expect to see in the West End, but at a fraction of the cost. One of the founding philosophies of Southpaw was that we wanted to take quality dance into regional venues, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with Speakeasy.

“The show has everything – inspirational, imaginative dance, great music, fascinating characters and visually it’s stunning. And an important part of the show has always been the input from local dancers. We work with community dance groups from swing and Hip Hop cultures to bring the Speakeasy to life, and we love the freshness and vibrancy they always bring.”

Southpaw are based in Sunderland. To book tickets for Speakeasy go to the indoor touring section of the Southpaw website (https://southpawdancecompany.co.uk) or book through Worthing Theatres.