Rock of Ages continues at Edinburgh Playhouse until 14 May 2022 and tours until 27 May 2023.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Energetic, exuberant and down right fun, Rock of Ages sweeps the audience up in a fast-paced comedy built around a songbook of some of the greatest rock anthems from the 1980s.
The story, such as it is, centres on naive Sherrie (Gabriella Williams), the ‘small town girl’ who leaves her country home for the bright lights of the city. Rescued from an on-street mugging, she is instantly attracted to her rescuer, Drew (Sam Turrell), an aspiring rock front man. Drew gets her a job working alongside him, as a waitress in The Bourbon Room – the top live rock performance venue on The Strip. Of course they have a misunderstanding that leads to a rift between them that is miraculously overcome before the final curtain!
The plot is augmented by the story of a German investor and his son who want to tear down The Strip and build shiny designer brand stores. Both Vas Constanti and Andrew Carthy play their roles as the father and son with impeccable comic timing, physicality and deadpan faces – a hoot from the get-go.
Trying to rescue The Bourbon Room, owner Dennis Dupree (Kevin Kennedy) invites the famous Stacee Jaxx (Matt Terry) to return to the stage that helped him find fame to top the bill to build support to save the venue from the developers. Jaxx is infatuated by Sherrie, leading to a misunderstanding that sees her looking for a new job.
Becoming an ‘exotic dancer’ under the eye of Justice (Phoebe Samuel-Gray) sees Sherrie serving up dances instead of drinks. Samuel-Gray brings a maturity and sense of self-worth that goes beyond the libretto and lyrics – powerful yet controlled vocals bring a presence to Justice’s character that gives the transition for Sherrie added weight and dramatic purpose.
The staging has more in common with a rock band gig than a typical theatre stage and places the musicians for the show upstage centre. Use of different levels through a scaffolded framework of amplifier speakers makes Morgan Large’s design extremely flexible with several truck sets rolling on and off swiftly to create distinct places. Coupled with Ben Cracknell’s dazzling lighting, the show echoes the spirit of an arena gig, frequently lighting the audience in the sharing of an experience. The direction is swift and slick – Nick Winston is also the choreographer bridging seamlessly the spoken and the sung.
Holding the show together is Joe Gash in the role of Lonny – impish, charismatic, wrapped up with a stunning rock voice, he charms the audience effortlessly. Owing more than just a little to Russell Brand’s performance style, Gash carries the weight of the role effortlessly – instantly finding rapport with both the audience and cast of characters.
The tongue-in-cheek comedic value is all but essential in this show which is ‘of its time’ with 1980s proclivities. However, that means it does include more than a touch of misogyny – a thorny topic and one that may leave some audience members feeling uncomfortable at times.
The show explores the character of people by the music they listen to – that taste in music defines how you are seen by the rest of the world. Perhaps allowing a bit more of a victory for the female characters would help how this show could win over a more contemporary audience and acknowledge that women can rock too.
All that aside, this is a fabulous way to use a couple of hours, especially when the finale has the house on its feet playing the full role of a rock concert audience. Entertaining from start to finish, this truly rocks!
Fiona Orr
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