Preview: Dirty Dancing

Ironically, Swayze hated the line and almost refused to say it during the Dirty Dancing shoot, claiming it was too “corny”. It’s just as well he acquiesced, otherwise he would have robbed the actors (and indeed the audience) of one of the highlights of the Dirty Dancing live show.

“The audiences go crazy for all the iconic moments,” says Paul-Michael Jones, who plays Swayze’s legendary Johnny Castle role on stage. “But there’s a moment of absolute silence before that particular line. Then, after I’ve said it, we just have to be quiet and wait for the audience to die down, otherwise they won’t hear a word we’re saying.”

Expectations for the original 1987 film were low. One weekend at selected cinemas across America was the plan, swiftly followed by a video release. Instead, Dirty Dancing became one of the highest grossing films of that year, and was the first film ever to sell more than a million copies on video. So it should come as no surprise that the stage show is enjoying a similar success.

After opening in Australia in 2004, it went on to become the fastest selling show in West End history when it moved to London two years later. That production finally closed in July this year, to embark on a two-year national tour across Britain. Written by Eleanor Bergstein (who also wrote the film), the show features the original music and choreography – and, of course, all those well-loved lines.

The role of Johnny Castle is so intrinsically linked with Swayze, who died in 2009, that any actor stepping into those dancing shoes has his work cut out. Understandably, having successfully auditioned for the part, Jones felt a range of emotions: “It was a mix of excitement to be able to play such a huge role, and fear at having to pull it off to the standard of Patrick Swayze,” he recalls.

But in fact, Jones and Swayze have more in common than Johnny Castle – and it is this similarity that has held Jones in good stead. Both men grew up with parents who ran dancing schools – but whereas Swayze studied ballet, Jones specialised in Latin American, going on to represent England in championships around the world.

“I was brought up with dancing,” says Jones. “The first dance I ever learned, when I was 11 years old, was the mambo – and at that time, the mambo routine my parents were teaching was pretty much copied from Dirty Dancing. It was a really watered down version of it, but it still had a couple of the toe heel flicks that we use in the show now – so it’s fun to be doing it all again.”

As a young boy growing up in Rochdale, a love of dance wasn’t something Jones wore on his sleeve. Seeing Swayze bump and grind, leap, spin and slide across the floor in Dirty Dancing gave him a definite confidence boost. “When you’re younger, dancing isn’t really a cool thing for a guy to do, but Patrick Swayze gave dance a masculine image – he made it cool,” says Jones.

Set in a holiday resort in the Catskill Mountains, just outside New York City, Dirty Dancing is a coming-of-age drama in more than one way. It’s the summer of 1963 and America is on the brink of change. So too is 17-year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, played in the film by Jennifer Grey. Not only does Johnny Castle teach Baby how to dance that summer, he’s also instrumental in her sexual awakening.

“It’s a very different era,” says Emily Holt, who plays Baby in the live show. “There’s a loss of innocence, but it’s not just the awakening to sex, it’s also the discovery that your parents are only human. When you’re young, your parents are on a pedestal – particularly for Baby, who sees her dad as perfect – and then she discovers that actually they have flaws just like everyone else. It’s an awakening into adulthood.”

Aside from the central romance and enduringly popular soundtrack, one of the main reasons for Dirty Dancing’s success is the movement. Demand for dance classes shot up in America when the film was released and, coupled with the success of Strictly Come Dancing, the stage show may have the same impact here.

Crucially, the character of Baby starts off as a novice, falling over her feet and displaying no discernible sense of rhythm. By the end, she’s mamboing with style and performing the infamous ‘lift’. Trained as a dancer before she turned to acting, Holt felt well placed to convey Baby’s initial trepidation.

“Even though I trained as a dancer, I’m not a ballroom dancer,” she says. “I trained predominantly in ballet and musical theatre – but that’s not partnering like you do with the mambo, so I had to learn that. And Paul-Michael is such a brilliant dancer, it was quite intimidating to start with. So, when Johnny is teaching Baby to dance, it’s handy for me to be able to remember that feeling.” v

KELLY APTER

Dirty Dancing is at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Tuesday until 12 November, and the Playhouse, Edinburgh, 22 November until 8 January