''Stepping Out'' is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

written by

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...

in 1984. It was produced in the West End, London, where it received the Evening Standard Comedy of the Year Award, and on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Plot

The play concerns eight individuals from disparate backgrounds and with differing motivations who attend the same weekly

tap dancing Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

class in a dingy

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nor ...

church hall A church hall or parish hall is a room or building associated with a church, generally for community and charitable use.

. Despite the students at first treating the classes as social occasions, and showing little co-ordination, they later develop a level of skill and cohesiveness. The dance routines are the background for the focus of the play, the relationship and interaction of different people.

Background

According to the play's writer,

, the inspiration for the show came from his own wife, actress Hilary Crane: "My wife started her career as a

dancer Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

and she liked to keep her foot in, as it were, so she went down to the local dance class and when she came back she suggested that I should go and have a look as she felt there might be a play in it for me". Taking his wife's advice, Harris visited the local church hall, a setting very much like the one in the play, where a

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perf ...

class was in progress. "My wife hadn't been to the tap dance class", he explained. "She went to join a

modern dance Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...

group, so it was by pure luck that I happened to go there and look through the window when a tap dance class was going on. It struck me that they all seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves and I thought if I could capture that, the pleasure they are clearly getting out of the class, I might be a winner. So I spent a period researching and going to various dance classes and then wrote the play".

Productions

The original production of ''Stepping Out'' premiered in 1984 at

Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley District of Surrey, England, about south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxon period, Leathe ...

Theatre, directed by actress Julia McKenzie with cast: Barbara Ferris ''(Mavis)'', Sheri Shepstone ''(Mrs. Fraser)'',

Charlotte Barker Charlotte Barker (born 1962) is a British actress. Career Barker was born in 1962 in Willesden, London, England, Barker is the only daughter of Ronnie Barker and Joy Tubb. As an actress she worked mostly in theatre. Her television debut came ...

''(Lynne)'', Josephine Gordon ''(Dorothy)'', Barbara Young ''(Maxine)'', Gabrielle Lloyd ''(Andy)'',

Ben Aris Benjamin Patrick Aris (16 March 1937 – 4 September 2003) was an English actor who was best known for his parts in ''Hi-de-Hi!'' and '' To the Manor Born'', and was also very active on stage. He was often cast as an eccentric, upper-class ...

''(Geoffrey)'',

Diane Langton Diane Langton (born 31 May 1947) is an English actress and singer, known for playing Marlena "Nana" McQueen in ''Hollyoaks'' from 2007 to 2009 and 2012 onwards. Career Langton has appeared in numerous television series. In the 1980s, she appear ...

''(Sylvia)'', Peggy Phango ''(Rose)'' and

Marcia Warren Marcia Warren (born 26 November 1942) is an English stage, film and television actress. On stage, she appeared in ''Blithe Spirit'' as Madame Arcati and '' The Sea'' (2008) at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. She is currently appearing in Netflix' ...

''(Vera)''. A tour of the production followed. The play opened in the West End at the Duke of York's Theatre, on 24 September 1984, and ran for nearly three years until 1 July 1987. It was awarded the ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award for Best Comedy in 1984. The play has been produced internationally, and a

run began in 1987, opening at the

John Golden Theatre The John Golden Theatre, formerly the Theatre Masque and Masque Theater, is a Broadway theater at 252 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the Golden Theatre was ...

on 11 January, running for 73 performances before closing on 15 March. It was directed by

Tommy Tune Thomas James Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Wal ...

; the cast included Pamela Sousa,

Carole Shelley Carole Augusta Shelley (16 August 1939 – 31 August 2018)Bartlett, Rhett"Carole Shelley, One of the Pigeon Sisters From 'The Odd Couple,' Dies at 79"''The Hollywood Reporter'', 1 September 2018

, Janet Eilber,

Carol Woods Carol may refer to: People with the name *Carol (given name) * Henri Carol (1910–1984), French composer and organist * Martine Carol (1920–1967), French film actress * Sue Carol (1906–1982), American actress and talent agent, wife of actor ...

Cherry Jones Cherry Jones (born November 21, 1956) is an American actress known for her roles on screen and stage. She has received various accolades for her performances in television and theatre including three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, th ...

and

Meagen Fay Meagen Fay is an American actress known for her work in television. Best known as Roxy in '' Ohara'' (1987-1988), Principal Halloron in ''Life With Louie'' (1995-1998), and Gretchen Mannkusser in ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (2002-2004) and Loot o ...

. A musical version, entitled ''Stepping Out—The Musical'', with a book by Richard Harris, lyrics by Mary Stewart-David, music by

Denis King Denis Andrew King (born 25 July 1939) is an English composer and singer. He is best remembered as a member of a family ensemble, The King Brothers. Early career: the King Brothers King was born in Hornchurch, Essex, England. He began his mus ...

, and starring Liz Robertson, opened at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth 7, November 1996 and then, following a tour, at the

Albery Theatre Albery is a name. It may refer to: ;People by given name *Albery Allson Whitman (1851−1901), African American poet, minister and orator ;People by surname: *A. S. Albery, British politician *Bronson Albery (1881−1971), English theatre director ...

in London in October 1997,

Bill Kenwright William Kenwright, CBE (born 4 September 1945) is an English West End theatre producer and film producer. He has also been the chairman of Everton Football Club since 2004. Kenwright was born in Liverpool and attended Booker Avenue County Pri ...

producing. The show has been adapted for American audiences by Astrid Ronning and Nina Seely as ''One Night A Week''.

Theatre tours

2009 UK touring production Cast:

Brian Capron Brian Capron (born 11 February 1947) is an English actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He is best known for his role as serial killer, Richard Hillman, in the long-running ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', ...

''(Geoffrey)'',

Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Nationa ...

''(Sylvia)'', Rosemary Ashe ''(Mrs Fraser)'', Wendy Mae Brown ''(Rose)'', Carrie Ellis ''(Maxine)'', Susie Fenwick ''(Vera)'', Katie Kerr ''(Lynne)'', Johanne Murdock ''(Andy)'', Karen Traynor ''(Dorothy)'', Lucy Williamson ''(Mavis)'', Lucy Woolliscroft ''(Fairy/Understudy)'', Ian Ganderton ''(Understudy)'', Yasmin Pettigrew ''(Understudy)'', Felicity Butler ''(Understudy)''. 2010 UK touring production Cast:

''(Geoffrey)'',

Anita Harris Anita Madeleine Harris (born 3 June 1942) is an English actress, singer and entertainer. Harris sang with the Cliff Adams Singers for three years from 1961 and had a number of chart hits during the 1960s. She appeared in the '' Carry On'' fil ...

''(Vera)'', Katie Kerr ''(Sylvia)'', Janet De Vigne ''(Mrs Fraser)'', Wendy Mae Brown ''(Rose)'', Natalie Cleverley ''(Maxine)'', Catherine Millsom ''(Lynne)'', Johanne Murdock ''(Andy)'', Karen Traynor ''(Dorothy)'', Lucy Williamson ''(Mavis)'', Lucy Woolliscroft ''(Fairy/Understudy)'', Ian Ganderton ''(Understudy)'', Liz Jadav ''(Understudy)'', Felicity Butler ''(Understudy)''. Both tours started their runs at the Leatherhead Theatre where the play was originally performed. 2011 - Derby Playhouse Production Directed by Steven Dexter Cast: Anita Louise Combe (Mavis), Rosemary Ashe (Mrs Fraser), Sophie Louise Dann (Vera), Michael Cahill (Geoffrey), Flik Swan (Andy), Kim Ismay (Sylvia)

2016/17 UK tour and West End production

A new tour directed by Maria Friedman starred

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress, media personality, and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent show competition ''Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the ''Heart Brea ...

''(Vera)'',

Angela Griffin Angela Mellissa Griffin (born 19 July 1976) is a British actress and television presenter who has been active on British television since the early 1990s. She is best known for portraying the roles of Fiona Middleton in the ITV soap opera '' ...

''(Sylvia)'',

Tracey-Ann Oberman Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is widely known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2004–2005) and Valerie Lewis or "Aunti ...

''(Maxine)'',

Tamzin Outhwaite Tamzin Maria Outhwaite (; born 5 November 1970) is an English actress, presenter and narrator. Since playing the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has starred in a number of theatre and television productions, includi ...

''(Mavis)'',

Nicola Stephenson Nicola Stephenson (born 5 July 1971) is an English actress. She played the roles of Margaret Clemence in '' Brookside'', Julie Fitzjohn in ''Holby City'', Sarah Williams in '' The Chase'', Allie Westbrook in '' Waterloo Road'', and Tess Harris ...

''(Dorothy)'', Judith Barker ''(Mrs Fraser)'',

Rose Keegan Rose Keegan is a British actress of stage, film and television. She trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her mother is the writer Susanne Keegan. Her father was the writer and military historian Sir John Keegan. Selected c ...

''(Andy)'', Sandra Marvin ''(Rose)'', Jessica-Alice McCluskey ''(Lynne)'',

Dominic Rowan Dominic Rowan (born 17 June 1971) is an English television, film and theatre actor. He played CPS prosecutor Jacob Thorne in the ITV crime drama '' Law and Order: UK'' and Tom Mitford in the Channel 4 drama series ''North Square''. Rowan has a ...

''(Geoffrey)'' with Janet Behan, Emma Hook, Katie Verner, Marcia Mantack and Nick Warnford as Ensemble. The tour played 12–22 October at

Theatre Royal, Bath The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audien ...

, 24–29 October at the

Richmond Theatre The present Richmond Theatre, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a British Victorian theatre located on Little Green, adjacent to Richmond Green. It opened on 18 September 1899 with a performance of ''As You Like It''. One of ...

, 31 October - 5 November at

Cambridge Arts Theatre Cambridge Arts Theatre is a 666-seat theatre on Peas Hill and St Edward's Passage in central Cambridge, England. The theatre presents a varied mix of drama, dance, opera and pantomime. It attracts some of the highest-quality touring productions ...

, 8–19 November at

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

. The production then transferred to the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre from 1 March -17 June 2017. The West End run at the Vaudeville Theatre from 1 March - 17 June 2017 starred Amanda Holden (Vera), Natalie Casey (Sylvia), Tracey-Ann Oberman (Maxine), Anna-Jane Casey (Mavis), Josefina Gabrielle (Mavis), Nicola Stephenson (Dorothy), Judith Barker (Mrs Fraser), Lesley Vickerage (Andy), Sandra Marvin (Rose), Jessica-Alice McCluskey (Lynne), Dominic Rowan (Geoffrey) with Janet Behan (understudy Andy & Mrs Fraser), Suzy Bloom (understudy Vera, Maxine & Dorothy), Emma Hook (The Medium and understudy Sylvia & Lynne), Marcia Mantack (The Wizard and understudy Rose), Katie Verner (understudy Mavis & Vera), Nick Warnford (Nigel and understudy Geoffrey).

Film

'' Stepping Out'' was produced as a film in 1991, directed by

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as ''Reach for the Sky'' (1956), ''Sink the Bismarck!'' ...

, and starring

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

, with

Julie Walters Dame Julia Mary Walters (born 22 February 1950), known professionally as Julie Walters, is an English actress. She is the recipient of four British Academy Television Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two International Emmy Awards, a B ...

who was nominated for a

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

References

External links

* {{IBDB show, 8302, Stepping Out
Progress Theatre Reading production review 2004

Retrieved 9 Feb. 2011. 1987 plays British plays American plays