Last Night A DJ Saved My Life with David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff, Norwich Theatre Royal and a foam party… Three things you’d never expect to be together in one evening.

The Hoff and his co-stars in Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

The story revolves around teenage girl, Penny, the daughter of the famous Ibiza DJ Ross (played by David Hasselhoff). As she flies out to meet her dad after 3 years, she meets Rik a young holiday rep and wannabe DJ. Discovering that her father has a new woman in her life (who is old enough to be her sister rather than new mum) she experiences all that Ibiza has to offer. Sun, Sea and partying. But the Hoff needs to keep his club filled with paying clubbers. The question is, is he out of date with new trends and is he able to overcome the generation gap all whilst being a good parent? Comedy, cheese and a whole lot of fun and foam take the audience to the sun kissed beaches of Ibiza in this showcase of 80’s and 90’s clubland classics. 

The set was a wonder to behold. Three large LED screens lit up the stage with fun and dynamic videos acting as a exciting aid for the performance, creating the feeling you were in a Spanish club. My favourite use of the screens was in the ecstasy scene. Using trippy imagery, strobe effects and crazy videos, the audience were left feeling like they themselves had taken drugs. A very innovative way of showing the effects of drugs and the rave scene. Blocks covered in popular brands and images from the 90’s were used in many ways to create locations. From airplane seats to sun loungers, it was an extremely effective way of changing location quickly, along with the screens it transported us to wherever they wanted us to be. The use of a live camera stream on the screens was a stand out moment for me as well, I hadn't seen this used before and so it was great for creating the confusion during the ecstasy scenes. 

Can't have Hoff without Baywatch 

The role of Penny was played by Stephanie Anderson. The lyrical welsh accent matched well with the character of a fun loving teenage girl. Her vocals worked well with the club sound and were strong enough to get the party going. A personal favourite has to be the cheesy classic ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ performed with great energy, it was both fun and flirty. Along side Stephanie, Natalie Amanda Gray and Emily Penny played the roles of Amber and Shazza (Two girls determined to have a good time on their holiday) Their characterisation of the two slightly older holiday makers left the audience highly amused and added comic value by the bucket loads to the performance. Shane Richie Jr (playing Rik) settled into the performance well after the first few numbers where he seemed to get lost amongst the flashing lights and high energy dances performed by the ensemble. Giving us hints of Rick Astley with ‘Never gonna give you up’ he played the cheeky lad and created a lot of on stage banter. Quote of the show “He was HOFF is face…”. I did, however, wish he played the character with a bit more charisma, more of a ‘Jack the Lad’ rather than the tame character he was at the start. 

The show would not be complete without the Hoff. David Hasselhoff ignited the atmosphere in the theatre as soon as he stepped on stage. His stage presence alone was enough to deserve a standing ovation. Playing a father who has lost touch with the youth, he was provided the audience with an evening of guilty pleasure. Though his vocals were somewhat questionable and at times it appeared like he was a lost uncle on stage, you can not fault his legendary status and he certainly used that to his advantage especially recreating the iconic Baywatch beach run.

The ensemble were fantastic. Bringing 90’s hip hop to Norwich with their own flare and personalities radiating through! the choreography was at time quite simplistic however what they performed was well executed and performed with 100% conviction. The music was, of course, filled with feel good hits and was quite frankly awesome. Not a single complaint there! 

Overall the show was a fulfilled evening of entertainment. Performed to a high quality and filled with plenty of puns and cheeky one liners and even some juggling! The piece could even be used as an educational piece about drugs in society and the dangers of ecstasy. To conclude, the musical was a fantastic night out. Although as a piece of theatre it wasn't one that I’d rate high, it was a funny throwback to the 80’s and 90’s and an extremely guilty form of entertainment.