Carol Harrison, Mark Newham and Chris Simmons in All Or Nothing at The Vaults Theatre, London. Picture: Phil Weedon
All Or Nothing –The Mod Musical continues at The Vaults Theatre, London until 21 May.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Yes, it’s another bio-jukebox musical that tells the rags to riches – or in this case rags to rags – tale of a struggling young band as it makes it big. And yes, it’s got people from EastEnders in it. But don’t be too quick to dismiss All Or Nothing as another carbon-copy Jersey Boys or Sunny Afternoon. It stands proud above the others (despite the band’s diminutive stature) and plays out in a fantastically fitting venue under the trainlines at Waterloo.
The story might be all too familiar, in this case recounting the formation, fury and fall of the 1960s London band the Small Faces, but All Or Nothing fizzes with an infectious energy and enthusiasm that sets it apart from the others. And – a nice surprise – it also has a carefully crafted script by actress and producer (and aforementioned EastEnders alumnus) Carol Harrison. It might be a little on the long side – I’d happily lop of a quarter of an hour in the second half – and it doesn’t really end very satisfyingly, but it kept me engaged all the way through in a way that the likes of Jersey Boys and Sunny Afternoon didn’t.
Harrison does a notable job with the script, given that the Small Faces – the London Beatles – were only on the scene for about four years. Their original tenure might have been short (1965–69) but it was intense, resulting in four albums and a string of hits, including the titular ‘All Or Nothing’, ‘Whatcha Gonna Do About It’, ‘Itchycoo Park’, ‘Sha La La La Lee’ and ‘Lazy Sunday’, all of which get enthusiastic coverage in the show. If you’re a fan of the band – which I’m not, particularly – then All Or Nothing will be right up your street.
Gelling the whole thing together, and relating the band’s story from what would appear to be a heavenly boozer, is frontman Steve Marriott. Chris Simmons is a totally convincing Marriott, playing him as a likeable, cocky Cockney, rarely without a fag or jug of beer in hand. (Of course, it was the fags that probably did him in, starting the house fire that killed him in 1991.)
Playing the younger version is Mark Newnham, who has an uncanny resemblance to the twentysomething Marriott. He’s also got the Mod voice and attitude to match and – as with the rest of the band – is clearly having an absolute riot of a time in the role. Although Marriott doesn’t come across as a particularly likeable youngster, Young gives you a lot to root for.
The other Faces all do an equally convincing job – Drew-Levi Huntsman as drummer Kenney Jones, Joshua Dowen as bassist Ronnie Lane, Joshua Maddison as keyboard player Ian ‘Mac’ McLagan, and Joseph Peters as the short-lived keyboardist Jimmy Winston. All five performers sing, play and act, all with such youthful passion and intensity that I’d not be surprised if they formed a band of their own!
The supporting cast is also a delight, particularly when conjuring up celebrities from the Swinging Sixties, such as Sophia Behn’s Dusty Springfield, Danielle Johnson’s Cher and, best of all, Daniel Beales as, among others, Cher’s other half Sonny, DJs Tony Blackburn and David Jacobs, and – brilliantly – the knotty-tongued Stanley Unwin. The younger members of the audience must’ve been bamboozled by all of the knowing 1960s London references and characters, but for those of us on the wrong side of 40, the jokes were much appreciated.
Carol Harrison – producer and writer – also takes on the role of Marriott’s mother Kay. While all too easy to play her as a battleaxe in curlers, as she appears at the start of the show, Harrison has written herself a lovely part, and really shines in the blisteringly painful (if unsatisfying) finale as the fate of her doomed soon is revealed. Brava.
This is a polished and good looking show – well done lighting designer Peter Small, costume designer Charlotte Espiner and choreographer Cameron Hall for evoking the period so well. With a crew like this – directed by the legendary Tony McHale – and with a couple of nips and tucks, this show should really go places. If Sunny Afternoon can get to the West End from the humble Hampstead Theatre, then there’s no reason the modest All Or Nothing couldn’t do the same. This Jukebox Juror reckons it’s a ‘Hit’!
Craig Glenday
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