The Curve Production of An Officer And A Gentleman The Musical is on at The New Theatre, Oxford
An Officer and A Gentleman The Musical is based on the award-winning 80s movie which starred Richard Gere. This timeless story of love, courage, and redemption takes you on the emotional journey of Zack Mayo, a fearless young officer candidate, and the captivating Paula Pokrifki, whose fiery spirit matches his own. Their encounters ignite a spark that transcends boundaries, awakening a love that defies the odds.
With every note, every step, and every heartfelt ballad, immerse yourself in this romantic masterpiece. Set to a smash-hit soundtrack featuring the songs of Madonna, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, and many more, the power of music will carry you through the highs and lows of their extraordinary love story, including the award-winning (Love Lift Us) Up Where We Belong.
Director, Nikolai Foster explains more:
What kind of night are people in store for when they come to see the show?
People will be surprised when they come to see An Officer and a Gentleman. Because of the film’s iconic ending, I think a lot of people associate it with being a cheesy 80s romcom. Of course, there's nothing wrong with a cheesy 80s romcom - and we offer some tasteful cheesy choices in our production - but audiences will be surprised by the depth of this story and how moving the show is. It is genuinely uplifting because we invest in the lives of these characters and care about them.
How did you decide which songs from the 80s to include?
It was all about if the characters were going to sing, the immediacy and rawness of existing songs from the era the play is set offered an opportunity to glimpse into these characters’ souls and hear their inner thoughts. Popular pop songs have helped to articulate the emotions of our characters.
Why do you think the stage version is so popular?
There's the innate juxtaposition between brutal naturalism and magical realism that has helped inform the creation of our stage version and I think audiences love the mixture of gritty true life and fantasy - simple stories, complex lives, with a touch of musical magic thrown in along the way. We have always endeavoured to treat the characters and situations with the respect and dignity they deserve and we consider it an honour to be sharing their stories with audiences today.
An Officer and a Gentleman The Musical is a captivating theatrical experience that honours its cinematic origins while offering something fresh and exhilarating. With strong performances from an extremely talented cast and evocative music this really is a well crafted production. It follows the love story between Zack and Paula alongside the rigorous US navy officer training process.
The levels of physical fitness showcased by the performers was certainly impressive and if you love 80s music then you’ll love this musical; it’s bursting with 23 iconic songs. It had the whole audience on their feet, clapping and singing along. We left the theatre on a high, singing the songs and grinning from ear to ear.
27 May – 1 June, Oxford New Theatre, atgtickets.com/oxford
Image credit Marc Brenner
