An Officer and a Gentleman the Musical: Review

We can say it now – anything set in the 80’s has become a period piece and The Curve’s production of An Officer and a Gentleman, the Musical, is as 80’s as legwarmers in shoulder pads.

Douglas Day Stewart’s original story was an 80’s hit film with a huge payoff. It established Richard Gere who played naval officer trainee Zack Mayo, as a heartthrob who fails to recognise his new squeeze Paula Pokrifki (Deborah Winger) is the love of his life, until five minutes before the end. Gere was the go-to actor after this film, for a heroic, complex man who rescues fallen or foolsome maidens from their hapless lives at the last minute.

In this stage adaptation, which is a slight tongue-in-cheek take on the film, Luke Baker plays Mayo as a wrong un who joins up for military training to better himself and prove he has what it takes to earn the prestigious Naval jet pilot training.

Love interest Paula (Georgia Lennon) is the daughter of a trainee pilot she never knew. Her mum Esther (Melanie Masson) is a jaded factory worker and cracking singer who had a brief taste of honey and since then has worked hard and brought her daughter up on her own. Paula, she knows these naval lads will leg it off in their crisp white trousers, no sooner have they knocked-up a girl, she’s seen it all before. But she falls for Mayo nonetheless. Otherwise, what we gonna sit there watching in between the 80’s bangers?

Musicals are great at sending up the elements in a story with a simple twirl and step ball change. From the get-go the trainee soldiers lose their mullets and star jump away to have the toughest training known to man in heavy duty jazz shoes. Some make it, some don’t. It’s a story about aspirations and stumbling blocks. But triumphs show up as much as tragedy and in that way it’s a well-rounded story. You’ll leave with that thought. It’s honestly not just about the songs and dancing. But it does feel dated.

In the local factory, the pitch perfect women lament working for the man. All are truly brilliant singers, and the message now is as clear as it has always been – you have to be twice as good to make it as a woman in the musical theatre profession.

This is a jukebox musical, with themes and a storyline that didn’t quite translate to the younger members of the audience. Namely the two girls sat next to us who were audibly laughing and cringing at the imbalance and outrageous bigotry. They were whooping ironically at the rescue of the girl from the factory who was training to be a nurse anyway, without him swooping her up in the air like a toddler, and taking her somewhere undisclosed right in the middle of a shift.

I know what they mean. But I myself was thinking – I hope she still got paid for that shift because well, he’s still going off to training for years so where’s their money coming from?

The second act allows us to laugh at these notions of place, gender and roles in a way that was more accessible to everyone. And the show is wonderful in keeping a quick pace and chocca with delightful memorable songs from the 80’s. I loved renditions of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Heart of Glass the best. But I did love them all and had a great sing song. The performances were top notch. The performers were giving it their all and highly skilled at their job.

Yes it’s dated. But it hasn’t irradicated that era in order to be current. And in not doing so we can see that we have made baby steps towards a social equality not giant leaps.

The audience were on their feet at the end feeling hope and elation, which is what an anti-hero that earns his stripes instils in us. We were happy and we had a great show. If you loved the film you’ll love it. If you love 80’s music you’ll love it.

An Officer and a Gentleman the Musical is at The Opera House, Manchester from 30 April to 4 May 2024.