‘Geoffrey!’…Stepping Out! Churchill Theatre, Bromley 24.09.2026
It was back to Bromley for the weeks opening of this weeks production at the Churchill Theatre, Richard Harris’s Stepping Out!
The play centres around a group of very different people who meet weekly for an amateur tap dancing class, in a slightly run down church hall in North London. Their teacher, Mavis is a former professional dancer who is trying to get this rather unique bunch ready for a charity gala performance. At first , the dancing is almost secondary. They mostly turn up for the social side, a bit of escapism and some ‘me time.’ They’re not exactly natural performers either! But, as the weeks go by they being to open up about their lives, form friendships and become much more confident. what initially looks like a bunch of people who have very little incoming becomes genuine little community.
Not really knowing what to expect, I went in completely open-minded and came away absolutely loving it. The comedy had such a nostalgic feel to the classic British comedies we all know and love — quick-witted, wonderfully farcical and full of moments you simply don’t see coming, but somehow always end up laughing out loud at. 😂 What I really loved, though, was the balance between the comedy and the honest realism of each character’s life. Every person in that tap class has their own reason for being there — and for some, this one evening a week is their chance to escape, be themselves, make friends or simply have something that belongs to them.
That combination of hilarious chaos and genuine, sometimes quite touching, human stories makes it so easy to fall in love with every single character.
Karen Hauer steps away from the Strictly ballroom and onto the stage so naturally. We already know she can dance, but her acting was strong, and she held the room and her character beautifully. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in theatres, and I’ll definitely look forward to seeing what she does next. Every character was portrayed brilliantly, but a couple of special mentions from me. Sophie-Louise Dann as Dorothy was a particular favourite. I can only describe her as the female Jim from Friday Night Dinner 😂 — her mannerisms and delivery had me absolutely howling. Kerry Enright as Sylvia was the loud, funny, larger-than-life character who had everyone chuckling with her quick wit and one-liners. Then there was the complete contrast of Devon Elise Johnson as the quieter, more innocent Lynne, which worked beautifully. Carol Norris and Lucy Benjamin as Maxine and Vera both brought their own brilliant personalities and characters to the stage.
One thing is for sure — every character held their own. But knowing how to dance is one thing… pretending you can’t dance is another! 😂 And they made it incredibly convincing.
A really lovely surprise, full of laughs, heart and characters you genuinely find yourself rooting for. 💃❤️
Definitely one I’m glad I went to see.
