THINK Saturday Night Fever and you tend to remember the Bee Gees’ feelgood soundtrack, dazzling disco lights and ridiculously large flares.

It is easy to forget that the 1977 film, starring Oscar-nominee John Travolta, was not all froth and glitter balls and actually had a darker side.

Daily Echo:

And that was very much brought into focus in this brave adaptation.

With this new stage version Ryan McBride presents an engaging insight into the urban reality of late 70s New York, with its long-term unemployment and people queuing for gasoline.

The mood is one of despair, disappointment and under-achievement from the outset.

Unfortunately there are only snatches of scenes where this is set aside for the colourful, escapist world of the disco dancefloor.

Here we are transported back to the era of flares, platforms, medallions and living for the weekend.

For Tony Manero (the multi-talented Danny Bayne) the weekend is his chance to gain some respect through his dance moves – respect that is lacking in his dead-end job.

Desperate to win a dance competition, Tony drops his usual partner Annette (Ellie Anne Lowe) for the more stylish Stephanie (Bethany Linsdell) but the ambitious Stephanie’s plans for the future don’t include Tony.

This adaptation by Robert Stigwood and Bill Oakes offers the bright disco as a fantasy refuge against a bleak hostile environment.

In the disco, original funky songs from the movie are sung live by the talented CiCi Howells – who acts like a narrator moving the story along.

But then there is the outside world where the pop classics have been bravely adapted to reflect a harsher, crueller, environment.

Daily Echo:

Jive Talkin’, performed on acoustic guitar, sounds more like a protest song, and Tragedy is a heart-felt power ballad.

Fans of Travolta’s legendary moves will not be disappointed by Andrew Wright’s choreography, which captures all of the classic steps and posturing.

Danny Bayne has come a long way since winning ITV’s Grease is the Word, which led to his West End debut as Danny Zuko in Grease at London’s Piccadilly Theatre. He can certainly dance!

Ultimately this is a gritty drama and not the spirit-raising musical many people might have expected.

The finale, with all the company performing a medley of the hits as we do remember them, was the five-minute highlight of a clever show but we waited far too long for it.