That was the autumn of 2018, when everybody called me Charl and I didn’t occur to me to mind (why would I?).  That was before the Prime Minister of the UK finalised Brexit, before Westlife did their reunion tour, when I couldn’t wait to spend another romantic night in with a bottle of wine and I never thought I’d find a guy as great as Patrick Swayze.

I guess you could call me a Dirty Dancing super fan. Obsessive, if you like. Since its release in 1987 (my year of birth, FYI), I’ve mashed potato’d, done the twist, carried watermelons, tried to perfect the famous lift in a swimming pool AND hotel lobby whilst drunk and perfected the ability to recite the movie line for line. Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle was my first fictional crush and I still feel like I’m reenacting that Hungry Eyes scene when I wear pants over tights. I have the soundtrack on my phone and even now, the opening lines of She’s Like the Wind can turn me into a quivering mess.

Dirty Dancing is an institution. It’s that film that I scream “WHY NOT!” when someone confesses to having never seen it and despite it being a low budget film when production started in 1985 with a cast of pretty much nobodies, Dirty Dancing become a box office hit. A coming of age story of 17 year old Baby Houseman set in Kellerman’s resort in the summer 1963.

It’s a story that has charmed and woo’d audiences since it’s release 29 years ago and has progressed from VHS, to DVD and in 2004, to stage.

In 2004 Eleanor Bergstein, the original scriptwriter of the film, adapted the story for stage and took the whole love story from up on those mountains to the stage of the Regent Theatre, Stoke and an expectant audience made up of predominantly women.  With such huge expectation, could the magic of a much loved film 29 years on?

I always imagined the main obstacle for recreating Dirty Dancing on stage would be the sheer number of locations to reconstruct.  I mean, how would they reenact the famous “practising lifts in the water” scene on stage and how would Kellermans come to life?  I needn’t have worried. With thanks to Roberto Commotti’s clever stage design, which is by far one of the most impressive I’ve seen, you’re transported back to the iconic locations of the film including the staff quarters, Main House and the Sheldrake Hotel through clever stage design.

There’s an endearing quality that Frances Houseman  and Kira Malou is wonderful up there as Baby.  All curly hair and awkward limbs, she’s the apple of her fathers eye with an ambition to change the world but at 17 years old she’s still not fully explored her womanhood.  When she meets Johnny Castle, dance kid employed to teach the daughters of the hotel guests the mambo, the cha-cha, anything they pay for, the two seem as unlikely a match as can be.

There’s some serious dance shoes to fill in the role of Johnny Castle and  Michael O Reilly who graduated in dance and musical theatre from Bird College plays a convincing part.  His delivery is spot on, even down to the intonations in his voice, mannerisms and ability to pull off a tank top and trousers (and that cheeky full moon scene) which left the audience wolf whistling and getting a little hot under the collar by the interval.

Simone Covele brings some real vulnerability to the character of Johnny’s dance partner and former Rockette, Penny.   The iconic dance performances between the duo are absolutely mesmerising and from the first beats of Hungry Eyes, you’re transported to the dance studio wishing you were in a leotard and heels – just me?

The entire cast and production crew really do this classic story proud with an incredible musical and visual celebration of one of the most popular chick flicks of all time.

With more than 30 hit songs from the original movie being performed throughout the course of the show including Hungry Eyes, She’s Like the Wind, Do You Love Me? and of course, (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life.

The whole audience were hot under the cover at that steamy scene in Johnny’s room and I’m not afraid to say that Alex Wheeler’s rendition of In the Still of the Night drew a tear .  By the time Johnny donned his leather jacket to do the last dance of the season I was whooping along with the rest of the ladies and having the time of my life.

Whether you’re a die-hard Dirty Dancing fan (like me) or are after a night out at the theatre with the girls, or guys for that matter, you’ll never be sorry about catching this show.  The audience really get into the show, and quite rightly so.  You’d be hard pushed to find someone not on their feet and applauding.

Dirty Dancing On Stage is at the Regent Theatre until Saturday 20th October and tickets are available online or via the box office.