Dancin' Thru the Dark

'It's raised more misery than all the wars and revolutions put together', mutters a jaded soul on the subject of marriage. Certainly Willy Russell's adaptation of his own play Stags and Hens is unequivocal about tying the knot too soon. The action takes place the night before Linda and Dave's wedding: Linda (Hackett) is out with the girls for a hen night, Dave (Nelson) is carousing with the boys. Both parties unwittingly converge on the same nightclub, where Linda has gone to see her almost-famous ex-boyfriend (O'Neill) perform with his group. Emotions run high when Linda is overwhelmed by second thoughts... It's a straightforward tale about a well-worn theme - it has no pretensions to be otherwise - but the frequent moralising about marriage tends towards excess. The more obvious jokes (I'm gregarious' -'Pleased to meet you, Greg') hold far less humour than the trenchant observations of disco politics: from early-evening boogies around handbags to booze-fuelled advances. Overall, with a solid cast, Ockrent makes an assured and lively film debut.