Rock of Ages

Fresh from their fantastic production of We Will Rock You, CODYS Productions are back on stage with their new production of Rock of Ages. This show has a fantastic score (Ethan Popp) and its book, with witty one-liners and abundant humour, (Chris D’Arienzo) offers up plentiful opportunities for audience interaction and entertainment value. I have to admit, due to the adult nature of this musical, I found it strange to know that there is a High School Edition. What was great however, were the same expected well-rounded characters and dedication to plot, setting and style. This is CODYS Productions second rock style musical of the year (if it ain’t broke)… and it’s clear to see the joy on the faces of the cast who looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage. The NODA strap line is Inspiring Amateur theatre, and it’s clear that CODYS productions are doing just that.

Directed and produced by Nick Cupit, the staging was generally good, and the scene changes were slick. The characterisations were also great, and a lot of the humour was abundant. For me, CODYS are still in a transition phase, but it’s still clear that there is an abundance of talent within the slightly smaller than normal cast. Visually, it was great too. I personally would’ve preferred a little more use of the laser effects, gobos and haze machine etc to enhance the lighting – which is what we have come to expect from rock musicals – but this is just a personal observation.

The choreography was very strong, and it was clear that an abundance of hard work and dedication has gone into the choreographic elements, style and portrayal. Every single dancer on the stage knew exactly what they were doing on every beat of the bar and performed the choreography with style and ease. A fine display and representation from NODA award winning choreographer Natasha Bill once again.

Whilst I felt there were more opportunities for individual style and harmonies etc, particularly from the lack of tenor line, and a rock verses musical theatre style, the wall of sound from the whole company numbers were fantastic. I appreciate that using tracks can hinder individual performance when playing around with tempo and rhythm etc. Musical Director, Laura Watson has worked well with the cast, to both portray tone and storytelling.

The set, by Scenery Solutions, is one of the best I’ve seen for this production, and it was used well throughout. I question the use of the door of the night club, which wasn’t used consistently in my opinion. Especially in the second act when Sherrie had already left her place of work. She appeared once again outside, with her suitcase (which had been stolen in early act 1).

The costumes for the main cast were suitable and helped establish character.

The narrator role of Lonny was played brilliantly by Dan Willson. Dan was suitably camp and entertaining throughout and whilst I felt that he rushed some of his one-liners a little and could’ve done with a little clearer diction, he was certainly well cast in this role – no mean feat. His audience interaction was fab too.

Lonny’s sidekick, Dennis Dupree was played brilliantly by Joe Bostock. Joe was a little understated and natural, which made him more lovable and real. This was a brilliant performance from Joe, and he was watchable throughout.

The young Juve lead Drew Boley was played by George Owen. I didn’t quite believe that Drew was in love with Sherrie though nor that he was the ‘next big thing’, however, George was entertaining enough throughout and did well to try and convince the audience of his rock status. He showed some nice vocals too.

Sherrie, wonderfully played by Poppy Williams certainly had the gravitas to play this leading role. Her vocal skills were sublime and seemed effortless, and she was commanding throughout – a great performance.

Stacee Jaxx, the rock legend, was brilliantly played by Harvey Farrell. Harvey’s vocals were superb, as was his acting and line delivery. I loved the way in which he used his voice and physicality to portray character. One of the standout performances of the evening for me.

Another standout performance was from Caitlin Elliott (Anita Bath). Her energy and commitment to her role was excellent! I loved her projection, diction and stage presence.

Liv Hebden’s version of Justice Charlier was a little too natural and understated for me, however, her vocals were excellent. Special mentions go to Matty Davies (Ja’Keith) and Oliver Noble (Franz Klinemann) who were both thoroughly entertaining throughout. Oliver Noble was hilariously funny in parts and had a good rapport with others.

There are far too many other characters for me to mention in any great detail, but all played their part in helping with plot and moving the story on. One of the drawbacks from a lot of the cast was the severe lack of diction, especially those that were using an accent too. A lot of the jokes were funny, but could’ve been hilarious, and parts of the story were missed due to the lack of diction and articulation of words – this is an area that I feel needs to be addressed in the future productions. I’m being very picky here.

Overall though, this was another great production from CODYS Productions and as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, the children on stage looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage – which made it all the more special. The audience were very supportive too, with some dancing and singing in the aisles at the end and laughing in all of the right places.

I thanks CODYS Productions for their hospitality and wish them all the very best for their next production of Footloose in March 2023.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.