An Officer and a Gentleman, Birmingham Hippodrome - review with pictures

This theatre showing was one that left the entire audience on their feet at the end, with many even singing along.

Directed by Nikolai Foster, with the screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, An Officer and a Gentleman explores the lives of working class folk in Pensacola, Florida in the early 1980s.

Zack Mayo, a new member of the US Navy with a bad attitude, signs up for aviation academy and is met with strict leadership from Sgt Emil Foley - and an unexpected romance with Paula Pokrifki; a local lass who hangs around the naval base.

Made famous by the 1983 blockbuster starring Richard Gere, the stage production is a reinvented delight set to please both fans of the film, as well as those who may have never seen the original movie before.

The show featured a variety of tunes that had many of the audience singing along, such as Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Alone, Livin’ On A Prayer, and the iconic Up Where We Belong.

Emma Williams and Jonny Fines played the lead roles of Paula and Zack, and they did a fabulous job.

The entire cast worked brilliantly together, but Emma and Jonny clearly had exceptional on-stage chemistry.

The show is adapted beautifully from stage to screen. Rousing applause came after each song, and the excitement of the audience was just overwhelming when Zack walked into the factory at the end to find Paula.

A standing ovation, and exceptionally loud cheers, followed the iconic scene where Zack lifts Paula into his arms and walks off into the sunset.

An Officer and a Gentleman was blissfully simple, classic and utterly romantic. A powerful show which left some of us (naming no names) with a happy tear in our eye at the end.

A must-watch for those who adored the original film - but also an exciting new treat for anyone lucky enough to experience the story for the very first time.