The Swanage School to bring Footloose to stage

Following our 4-show sell out of Matilda the Musical at the beginning of this year, The Swanage School will be bringing Footloose to The Mowlem in February 2025.

Footloose is the story of Ren McCormack, a teenage boy from Chicago. He and his mother move to the small town of Bomont after his father abandons them. Upon arriving, Ren finds himself at odds with most of the town, including the Reverend Moore. The Reverend has convinced the town to outlaw dancing, which Ren finds unbelievable! With the help of Ariel (the Reverend's daughter) and Willard (a country hick who becomes his best friend), Ren convinces the Reverend to let the teenagers dance and in the process helps the town to heal from a tragedy that affected them all. Peppered with pop classics such as: "Let's hear it for the boy", "Holding out for a hero", and of course the title song "Footloose", The Swanage School is guaranteed to have you singing and dancing in the aisles!

The show will be Director of Performing Arts Harry Peake's 9th annual musical show directed for The Swanage School. Each year our reputation for putting on a great show rises further, culminating in our 4-show sell out for Matilda the Musical in 2024!

Like Matilda, Footloose will benefit from a professional set as a backdrop for showcasing the talent of the student performers, and will feature the usual slick choreography audiences have come to expect from our shows.

At recent auditions when main roles were cast, some 85 students signed up to be in the show (the most ever!) and that doesn't yet include the incoming Year 7s who will be invited to join in September. That's roughly a quarter of the school, an impressive ratio by any standards. We are so excited to be bringing another fantastic show to The Mowlem for the town to enjoy!

Rehearsals start in earnest in September and students will be working hard throughout the Autumn and Winter in readiness for the show to open with performances on 27th and 28th February 2025 at 7:30pm and on 1st March with a 2:30pm matinee and a 7:30pm finale.

Tickets go on sale on 29th July at 11am, can we beat last year's record of selling over 500 tickets in the first two days?

As with previous shows, Footloose will show at The Mowlem in Swanage, giving students another fantastic opportunity to showcase their talents on a professional stage in a show that can be enjoyed by the whole town. 

About The Mowlem Institute Charity

A board of Trustees runs the Mowlem Theatre and employs a small team of staff that operates the theatre, cinema, and box office. Aiming to re-establish itself as the cultural hub of Swanage, it has a combined programme of events consisting of over 200 movies each year and 60-100 nights of live theatre, comprising local schools, amateur societies, and incoming professional productions. More information: https://www.themowlem.com 

Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Website

Mowlem Institute Charity: Reg. No. 243486

For more information about The Mowlem, please contact: Marketing & Press Email: press@themowlem.com / marketing@themowlem.com