I last saw this when it toured in 2014, I wasn't sure what to make of it then and I'm still not, though the rest of the audience seemed convinced it was a great night out.
For me, although the cast were excellent and tireless, the format simply doesn't work. The production relies too heavily on its overt awareness of being a musical, coarse acting and the bottoms of the female cast - not something I might normally criticise but, really, all the time, show some imagination. Similarly, I have no problem with busting through the fourth wall but when the "narrator" says to another character "Rock of Ages, its the musical you are in" to another cast member I feel they are stretching a bit far for laughs.
In all, I simply had to let the music wash over me and enjoy that as I found little else to my taste - your mileage may well vary as (see above) that of the rest of the audience seemed to!
The Society for Theatre Research reveals the shortlist for the Theatre Book Prize 2022.
Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage launches its Video on Demand platform with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Curated by Carlos
To coincide with World Storytelling Day, Theatre Company launches online resource for young children to access original Welsh language stories.