Review: Fever and fun for all the family

JOHN Travolta was pretty nimble on his feet, but Stephane Anelli makes him look like a lumbering novice.

Arms whirling, hips thrusting, legs doing things they surely weren't meant to, the South-ampton actor whipped the home crowd into a suitably feverish state as king of the dance floor Tony Manero - the role made famous by Travolta.

His athletically honed torso, on full display within minutes of the show opening, undoubtedly added to the hormonally-charged atmosphere.

Anelli's high-voltage performance as the hardware store worker who lives out his dreams at the local disco and eventually falls for the charms of Manhattan social climber Stephanie (Zoe Smith) set the tone for the whole show.

The energetic young cast combined for some brilliantly choreographed song and dance routines, bringing classic Bee Gees numbers like More Than a Woman, Tragedy and Jive Talkin' alive for an audience that cut across at least three generations.

Although not quite as hard-hitting as the film - scenes of gay-baiting and illicit sex in the backs of cars probably wouldn't go down well with a family

audience - the show remains faithful to it in most other respects.

Musicals cashing in the on craze for all things '70s are a boom industry, but Saturday Night Fever is one of the few that actually succeeds in tapp-ing into the excitement of the era.

The obvious reason is that it's got all the best songs. Less obviously, but no less importantly, it is also a classic fairytale of triumph against the odds.