PREVIEW: Brighton choreographer works on reimagined Color Purple

Brighton-based choreographer Mark Smith will this week be reimagining his original moves for a revamped online concert version of the hit musical The Color Purple.

Mark, who is artistic director of Deaf Men Dancing , will be at Leicester’s Curve Theatre re-setting and rehearsing his dance routines for the show, first staged by the Curve, in association with Birmingham Hippodrome in 2019.

Before travelling Mark told me : “ My main aim in the choreography was to make the movement authentic, grounded, earthy and real, with a bit of sparkle and a flash of passion and fire ! My inspiration has been from Harlem and the NYC nightclub The Cotton Club – and the popular dances from Ragtime, the Cakewalks, the jazz and swing era like the Charleston, Black Bottom, Shimmy, Foxtrot and Lindy Hop as well as African dance , sign language and a contemporary flavour.

“It will be a great joy again to see the original 2019 cast having such a fantastic time performing as well as educating the audience in the history of dance ! The staging this time will be different because of social distancing. There’ll be a revolve on stage which will be in the middle of the auditorium with cameras around the stage .

I’m excited to see how it will be filmed because it will be seen through fresh eyes and a different vision.”

The Curve had originally planned a concert version revival before lockdown restrictions made a physically present audience impossible.

The stream will run from 16 February to 7 March. It follows the tremendous success of a streamed version of Sunset Boulevard – recently reviewed in Scene – and features the original 2019 full-staged production’s cast – including T’Shan Williams as Celie, and Danielle Fiamanya as Nettie. Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer-winning novel it will again be directed by Tinuke Craig, with Alex Parker as MD.

There will be 2000 free tickets available for NHS staff.

Dancing footnote : Mark’s partner , Oliver-award winning choreographer Stephen Mear also told me he’s looking forward to being back in theatres in London and Paris this year once restrictions are lifted.