Disco fever in Hawick as singer Jack seeks fame

​The high-energy celebration of the golden-era of Disco is a jukebox musical which tells the story of ambitious singer Jack and how far he is willing to go to achieve the fame and stardom he seeks.

It is on this journey, that Jack finds that the Devil is very much in the detail. Set in London during August 1976 – the hottest summer on record – the musical whisks its audiences along with 22 of the greatest hits of the 1970s and standout performances from its cast.

Andrew McGillivray shines in the starring role this year as Jack, a hugely demanding role with significant stage time and a mountain of musical numbers. In describing what audiences can expect from the show, Andrew explains, “our production is visually stunning with bright costumes, flashy dances, great humour and music that you will be singing for days after”. Andrew puts in a particularly strong; “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”, this writer will also make a special pitch for “Play That Funky Music White Boy” being a strong second.

Alongside Jack is his devoted girlfriend Jane, played by Suzanne Neilson. A leading lady the company are lucky to have, with a truly standout performance of Gloria Gaynor classic ‘I Will Survive’. Jane has quite the journey to go on herself, having patiently supported Jack until he hits the big time, she has to cope with what life looks like when Jack finds the fame and fortune he was desperately seeking.

Across the stage from Jack and Jane are their best friends, Tom and Maggie, played by Alexander Edwards and Ashley Wolf respectively. No stranger to the HAOS stage, Alexander explains that “I’ve never done a comedy role before, my character this year is just wild, but I’m really enjoying it!”

Alexander does indeed have some great lines this year, but truly it’s his dance moves that are a sight to behold! Ashley gets to shine with lead vocals on ‘I Love to Love’ and brings plenty comedy to the character work amongst the friendship group.

Another standout performance comes in the form of Lucifer’s ‘Lady Marmalade’ played by Laura Gray, the devil on Jack’s shoulder, leaving him truly bedazzled! Laura and the wonderful chorus steal the show early on with the performance of ‘Hot Stuff’ as they lead Jack to temptation.

Rounding out the Principals this year are Helen Hoggan, Iain Scott, Charlie Marshall, Ali Cameron, Lyle Murray and Kev Sykes, playing Kathy, Heathcliffe, Duke, Nick Diablo, Terry and Lily respectively. Helen and Iain help show the wider impact of Jack’s actions, bringing great drama to their roles.

Charlie gets to show off his singing chops with an excellent ‘Crocodile Rock’. Meanwhile, Lyle and Kev steady the ship with Lyle’s support to best friends Jack and Tom, while Kev brings some masterful comic moments.

Also acting as this year’s HAOS President, Helen said: “The cast and production team have worked extremely hard over the winter months to bring this vibrant, lively show to life. I would like to give a huge thank you to our production team for all their hard work and dedication. Their support and encouragement have been second to none, and the enthusiasm and positivity at rehearsals have helped create an amazing show.”

And on the subject of the production team, returning this year again are Derek Calder and Andrew Shields as Lead Producer and Musical Director and Assistant Producer and Choreographer respectively. Both aware of the tall task of adapting such well known songs, both Derek and Andrew have worked their socks off to faithfully adapt the music and put on dance numbers worthy of these legendary songs. Andrew’s choreography gets several opportunities to shine but ‘Fire’ is a particular highlight. Derek’s band finds a perfect match with the chorus on ‘Crocodile Rock’ and of course the Village People medley!

Truly a special mention needs to go to the chorus of dancers who put in a heck of a shift. They are an important reminder that the company fits in preparing for these performances around their full-time jobs, education, children and families. So to put on such a show for the community is truly commendable.

Performing until March 14 (with matinee and evening on Saturday). Tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/haos-musical-theatre-company.