Review: THE COMMITMENTS, Wolverhampton Grand - UK tour
Photo credit: Ellie Kurttz
Roddy Doyle’s stage adaptation of his own much loved novel and cult hit film, The Commitments, is back on tour in the UK.
Set in 1980s Barrytown, a fictional suburb of Dublin, Jimmy Rabbitte (James Killeen), a young wheeler dealer with big ideas, decides to form a soul band of white working class locals. After an unsuccessful audition process, Jimmy cobbles together a group of friends and people he meets. Some have a modicum of musical talent, others haven’t even heard of Marvin Gaye through the grapevine!
Things come together when Joey “The Lips” Fagan (Stuart Reid), a veteran trumpeter, offers to help and Jimmy persuades gifted but temperamental Deco (James Deegan) to be lead singer.
As the popularity of “The World’s Hardest Working Band” rises, egos, creative differences and casual flings lead to the band’s downfall.
The killer comedy and score of the book and film are fodder for musical theatre but on stage, it feels like there is something missing. The twenty plus tunes are packed in so the story feels a little rushed, characters are not properly defined and there is less of the Irish humour than we see in the screen version.
A string of wannabe band members knocking on the Rabbitte’s door performing well chosen audition songs to allow Jimmy’s delivery of acerbic one line rejections is funny. “Don’t, don’t you want me?” one of them squawk’s … you can imagine the answer! Killeen gives nuance to Jimmy as a wiley entrepreneur with the gift of the gab and a sprinkle of youthful exuberance. We believe he could put a successful band together.
With the front of the Rabbitte’s house cut away showing a cramped living room with bedroom above, this part of Tim Blazdell’s set goes some way to portraying 1980s working class Ireland, but with little exploration of the politics and economy of time, we only sense that being in the band is fun (until it’s not..) rather than providing purpose or a means of escape for this bunch of misfits.
Joey’s unlikely yarns of jamming with famous soul musicians run through the film script providing lots of belly laughs, especially his conversation with Jimmy’s “Da” (played here by Nigel Pivaro) about his trip to Graceland. It’s puzzling that Doyle doesn’t repeat this in the book of the musical and only has Joey mentioning his encounters.
We are treated to Deegan’s impressive pipes aplenty and enjoy his charismatic, yet uncouth Deco, singing with his mouth crammed full of chips and a beer in his hand! But Deco’s trajectory from raw talent to egotistical front man happens so quickly, we are not invested in him enough to care as much when things fall apart.
Ronnie Yorke’s turn as Mickah, a hot-tempered skinhead bouncer who acts as the band’s security, is brilliant. One of the more fully formed characters, his hard man with a soft spot for the group is delivered with great comic timing and makes him loveable.
The band’s backing singers, Imelda (Ciara Mackey), Natalie (Eve Kitchingham) and Bernie (Sarah Gardiner) complement one another well, packing a punch vocally. And, as skilful musical theatre professionals, pull off looking like over confident amateurs, synchronising their dance moves with gusto.
It's the sensational soul numbers (led by Musical Director George Francis on keyboards) that hold this production together. With hits including ‘Proud Mary’, ‘Mustang Sally’ and ‘Treat Her Right’, you can’t fail to get lost in the music as Jason Taylor’s flashing coloured spotlights fill the stage, conjuring up the feeling of being at a gig rather than a musical!
At the end of the tale, the last few songs are performed back to back as a concert. The cast are having a ball and their infectious enthusiasm and cracking vocals has the house up dancing and singing along. As the show closes with ‘Try a Little Tenderness’, we leave having had a ferociously feel good night, even if it isn’t as funny as the film!
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Victoria Willetts
The Commitments plays at Wolverhampton Grand until 15 October and is touring the UK until July 2023. Tickets are available for select touring venues here.