QUADROPHENIA: Birmingham till 23 May, touring till 3 October
QUADROPHENIA
by Jeff Young Music, lyrics and concept by Pete Townshend.
Birmingham Hippodrome till 23 May then touring till 3 October 2009.
Runs: 2hr 15min one interval.
Review: Alexander Ray 20 May.
Emotional and faithful interpretation of the Album.
Quadrophenia is one of the greatest rock albums ever recorded, I’m reliably informed. If the audience, on the night I saw it is anything to go by, it certainly has a wide and enduring appeal. This touring production interprets the album rather than reworking the film and, as such, while clarity is sometimes sacrificed, is much, much closer to the visceral, emotional force that was Pete Townsend’s intention and that his pounding rhythms create.
This is a play about a young man torn apart by his desires to belong to his tribe (the Mods in this case) but still pulled by his family ties. His desire for a more exciting, vigourous life versus his desire for love and affection. In Townsend’s concept, Jimmy, the young man, is four different young men - Jimmy, the Hypocrite; Jimmy, the Tough Guy; Jimmy, the Romantic; Jimmy, the Lunatic. These aspects war with each other and watch each other. Jimmy suffers, in a sense, from a four part schizophrenia (hence, quadrophenia.) But Jimmy’s one desire is to be one.
The narrative is Jimmy’s journey; it’s told, not so much in scenes, but in a series of images, fluidly moving in and out of each other. The set is harsh and uncompromising, the energetic choreography presents a type of anarchy, a refusal to be uniform.
This is a predominately young company working with a strong ensemble feel; the success of the production (in addition of course to the music) is the sheer intensity and integrity with which these performers reach out to us, working relentlessly to a highly charged emotional conclusion with LOVE, REIGN O’ER ME. It’s raw, it’s tough, it’s gripping and it’s moving.
Mod: Sean Croke.
Mod: Daniel Curtis.
Guardian Angel: Lillie Flynn.
Ace Face: Ryan Cage.
Jimmy, the Hypocrite: Rob Kendrick.
Jimmy, the Touch Guy: George Maguire.
Mum: Kirsty Malone.
Jimmy, the Romantic: Ryan O'Donnell.
Mod: Brennan Reece.
Guardian Angel: Iris Roberts.
Gang Leader: Tom Robertson.
Jimmy, the Lunatic: Jack Roth.
Dad: John Schumacher.
Guardian Angel: Dawn Sievewright.
The Godfather: Kevin Wathen.
The Girl: Sydney Rae White.
Young Jimmy: Henry Jones.
Young Jimmy: Andrew Smith.
Director: Tom Critchley.
Designer: Sophie Khan.
Lighting: Ace McCarron.
Sound: Jason Barnes.
Musical Supervisor/Orchestration: John O'Hara.
Choreographer: Frances Newman.
Costume: Carl Perry.
Fight director: Kevin McCurdy.
2009-05-21 12:48:55