Teddy – Watermill Theatre, Newbury and Touring

Molly Chesworth and George Parker in Teddy at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury and Touring. Picture: Scott Rylander

Teddy continues at the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor until 10 February and will tour nationally before a London season at The Vaults, London (29 March to 5 May 2018).

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

For those of us who did not grow up in the height of the Teddy Boy era but found ourselves enjoying music as the Teds morphed into Glam Rock pop stars, we had a rose-coloured view of the Teddy Boy movement.

We relished the colourful rainbow drapes and brothel creeper shoes of Showaddywaddy, the Elvis reminiscent performances of Alvin Stardust and Shakin’ Stevens and those ‘Tiger Feet’ from Les Gray and Mud.

The reality in the 1950s when the movement mutated out of post-war depression was very different and Tristan Bernays’ biopic places ‘Teddy’ at the start of this musical rebellion.

The angry youths proudly manifesting themselves in shiny suits that belie their struggle out of poverty, the defiant sound of the heavy base line music and the idolatry surrounding the prominent rock‘n’roll stars of the day metamorphose through Bernays’ writing into a hard-hitting glimpse at this significant revolution initiated by Britain’s teenage population.

In effect, the piece is a two-hander with Molly Chesworth as Josie and George Parker as Teddy, the archetypal Judies and Teds of the day – Josie in her thin black ribboned tie with smart jacket and cropped capri trousers, hair in a high ponytail, and Teddy in his typical suit fashioned with fob watch and the obligatory hair comb.

As the rebellious youths with their body language and choice vocabulary of swear words, Chesworth and Parker are both evocative of the period and credible.

The brilliance here though is Bernays’ inspired writing technique which allows his characters to switch into multiple roles using beautiful poetic and almost Shakespearean language to full descriptive effect.

The constant escapism of the music is personified by Johnny Valentine and the Broken Hearts, played with attitude by actor-musicians Dylan Wood, Andrew Gallow, Freya Parks and Harrison White.

Dougal Irvine’s music, which accompanies Bernays’ script, is reminiscent of a lot of recognisable rock‘n’roll tunes from the era but still comes across as thoroughly original.

The music is a vital element of the production (directed by Eleanor Rhode), creating the evocative atmosphere of the heady nightclubs and constant background radio music that was so important to the Teddy Boy culture.

Julie Watterston

www.snapdragonproductions.com/productions/teddy/