The Commitments was widely anticipated, selling out the first month of performances before the production even began. A few months on and the musical is flailing, with empty seats and consequently less energetic audiences.
This first staging of Roddy Doyle’s bestselling novel (and later film) should delight the loyal fans and entertain newcomers. The show, though lacking meaty storyline, has a satisfying and soulful score which the cast inject with enthusiasm right from the opening number. The audience watch as a group of overexcited music-mad teenagers form a band, with all the mishaps and mayhem that comes with such an undertaking.
An evocative backdrop by Soutra Gilmour sets the scene of rainy Dublin in 1987. Jimmy (Denis Grindel) bursts onto the stage, the manager and founder of a new band, The Commitments, which aims to bring soul to the people of Ireland. This band is a wild and worrisome bunch that needs reining in. Killian Donnelly is the obvious star of the show, with his breathtakingly gravelly and powerful voice that shakes the theatre with soul and fervour. His voice is so good I found myself excusing his foul character. Natalie Hope who stands in for Stephanie McKeon as Natalie gives a great performance as the leading lady in the female trio of backing singers, confident and strong. The rest of the band are impressive too, playing and acting with equal conviction and vigour.
I was surprised to see that director Jamie Lloyd had not been more inventive with the material. His productions are usually more memorable and striking artistically. With a view to extending the run, interestingly, the producers are removing all profanities from the script in the hope that it will encourage families and bigger groups to book tickets. But with this decision do they risk eliminating the gritty passion so present in the brash original? Either way the score is worth buying a ticket for, it’s not groundbreaking theatre, but a fun night out nonetheless.
More information and book tickets here: www.thecommitmentslondon.com