Iconic musical Saturday Night Fever has got audiences at the Wycombe Swan dancing this week.

The story follows Tony Manero, a young man from a tough Brooklyn neighbourhood with a dead-end job but a passion for dancing. It’s 1976 and every Saturday night, Tony dons his flares and hits the dance floor, wowing the crowds with his phenomenal dance moves. Tony’s life changes forever when he meets another aspiring dancer from Brooklyn, Stephanie, and they decide to train together for a dance competition.

Starring alongside Naomi Slights (Stephanie), Danny Bayne returns to bring the musical to life across the UK, in the lead role of Tony.

Danny won talent show Grease is the Word in 2007 and went on to make his West End debut as Danny Zuko in Grease at London’s Piccadilly Theatre.

Originally from Welling, the star trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, but the 27-year-old credits the TV talent show for leading him into the world of musical theatre.

“Grease is the Word is something I can’t escape, but it’s something I wouldn’t want to escape from. It was the start of my journey.

“Back in 2007 I was supposed to be leaving college to go and do a show called Daddy Cool but then I got to call saying I had made it through to boot camp on the show. I owe a lot to the TV show and the producers for taking a chance on me and helping me to get to where I am today.

“It’s taken me a couple of years to grow up in the industry and it has led me down this path to where I am today. I'm very grateful.”

After playing lead roles in Grease and Hairspray, Danny is heading in a new direction with Tony Manero and the actor is more than happy to take on a role he can really get his teeth into.

“Playing Danny Zuko in Grease and Corny Collins in Hairspray was great, but the roles are not very 4D. They're simple, fluffy characters to play, but Tony has quite a lot of different faces. He has his face when he’s at home, a face when he’s with his friends or at the club, a face when he is with the ladies.

“It’s really nice to play Tony because he’s a gritty character and there are a lot of different sides to him and that’s why I enjoy playing him so much. I think of the show as a well thought-out play with music, rather than a musical because it is not what you would expect and I love that.”

Despite the serious themes within the show, the funky musical still features the classic Bee Gees hits that everyone loves, including Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, Jive Talking, How Deep is Your Love? and You Should Be Dancing.

After the legendary actor John Travolta portrayed Tony in the 1977 Box Office hit film, it is perhaps to be expected that Danny might be nervous following in his footsteps.

“It’s is daunting playing such a well-known character, but I think that’s the same for any role. The director and I didn’t really focus too much on the original part (played by John Travolta). We wanted Tony to still have that charisma that he has in the original film, but at the same time, it’s not really about that so much. Tony is gritty and much more realistic. He has anger problems and lots of other issues and you really get to see that in the show.”

Unlike many other musicals, Saturday Night Fever deals with some serious and challenging themes, something which Danny was determined to face head-on.

“I love dealing with all the serious themes in the show. It’s good to get into a deeper character. The director, Ryan McBride, was brilliant the way he laid it all out to us. As a cast, we deal with all the issues together, it’s terrific.

“There were lots of difficult issues in the seventies, Brooklyn was a problem in its own right and I think the show is very representative of that period. The direction from Ryan was brilliant; I think the show is really great.”

If people are expecting a typical musical, Danny thinks the audience are in for a surprise.

“We get quite a mixed reaction to the show. We generally get really lovely reviews of our shows, but people either get it or they don’t. The people who don’t get it can still appreciate what we’re trying to achieve though.

“The show is still really gritty like the original film with all the glitz and glamour of a musical. It’s something you don’t see very often, it’s really wonderful.

“You just don’t see theatre like this ever. People should come and see the show for the sake of being intrigued and entertained and enjoy the music, which is phenomenal. There’s lots of amazing dancing which is a mix of seventies dancing and more contemporary dance, so there is something for everyone.”

“People usually go to musicals because they're fun and fluffy. Saturday Night Fever is a soundtrack from the seventies but at the same time it deals with real-life issues.

“It’s really rare to see in musicals these days.”

Saturday Night Fever runs from 20 to 24 January. Tickets are priced between £15 and £36.50 and are available from www.wycombeswan.co.uk or by calling the ticket office on 01494 512 000.

Read our review of Saturday Night Fever here