Rock of Ages

Knutsford Musical Theatre Company returned the Northwich Memorial Court with their production of ‘Rock of Ages’, once again directed by Ben Ireson. Ben had a clear vision for this production, and it was certainly realised. The characterisations were very good and the staging was of a high level. The pace was generally very good, with relatively slick scene changes. The set looked very good, with a scaffolding structure which provided levels and housed the Bourbon Room and the band. There was a toilet situated downstage left and further staging in the auditorium. Trucks were brought on to represent other locations, including the Mayor’s office and one of the rooms as part of the Venus Club. These were brought on efficiently. There were steps covering the entirety of the front of the stage. Having the action spill out into the auditorium gave an immersive feeling to the production, and the cast did very well performing in close proximity to the audience. Costumes were very good, and suited each character well. From the formal suits of the Klinemann’s to the band shirts of the ensemble, they were well thought through.

The musical director was Michael J Scott, who led his small rock band very well. Michael has clearly shown his versatility after his work on ‘Sweeny Todd’ and ‘Funny Girl’ last year with this score. Michael helped to create a rock concert atmosphere with his band, and the cast were clearly well drilled with the music. The vocals throughout were fantastic.

Dani Fray was the choreographer for this production. The choreography was of a high quality throughout, especially in the big ensemble numbers. It was performed well by the entire cast. It was edgy and suited the rock nature of the musical.

Technical elements were very good throughout and well integrated into the production. The lighting and sound made you feel like you were at a rock concert, which was perfect for this production. Whilst the band was suitably loud, this did not impact the sound levels of the cast, which matched the band well.

Ella Carr took on the role of the small town girl, Sherrie. She displayed a nice innocence that suited the character well, as she left her hometown to try her luck in the big city. Ella’s vocals were impressive, delivering one of the standout vocal performances of the production with Ollie in their duet of ‘High Enough’ – a goose bump moment.

Ollie Hale impressed as Drew. Ollie displayed a good rock vocal, especially in his higher register. He displayed the awkwardness of his character well, creating a believable relationship with Ella. The audience were rooting for them to get together throughout the performance.

Joel Merry was totally in his element as the rock god, Stacee Jaxx. He oozed the confidence that Stacee has and completely looked the part. Joel’s vocal was good and he executed the songs very well, including singing in Spanish!

The standout performance of the production was Jonathan Hall as Lonny. As the narrator, Jonathan had the audience in the palm of his hands and had great interactions with them. He had great comic timing, which was essential for this role. Jonathan’s vocal was very strong, delivering his numbers with commitment and energy. A fantastic performance.

Oliver Ball gave an enjoyable performance as Dennis Dupree. The hippie characterisation was very funny and Oliver had good comic timing. There was a great relationship formed with Jonathan’s Lonny, and their rendition of ‘I Can’t Fight This Feeling’ was hysterical.

Issabella Harrison gave a good comic performance as Regina Koontz. There was truth to her performance as well – you really did believe she was fighting for her cause. Issabella created good relationships with the other characters, particularly Westley’s Franz.

Andy Dolan and Westley Clarke worked well together as father and son duo, Hertz Klinermann and Franz Kilnermann. The accents were sustained by both throughout. Westley was suitably camp and over the top, with the reveal in ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ being very funny.

Chloe Thomas put in a good performance as the motherly Justice Charlier. She had a very good command of the stage, creating excellent relationships with the Venus Club workers, especially with Ella’s Sherrie.

The ensemble was a very strong element of this production. Playing a whole host of characters from patrons of the bar to protestors to exotic dancers, they were all fully committed. Everyone was full of energy, delivering the songs and choreography with panache. Some highlights of the cameo roles from the ensemble include Nick Livesey’s corrupt Mayor (his expressions when visiting the Venus Club were very funny), Georgia Cowler’s dry Waitress # 1, and Christie Golden’s entrepreneurial Ja’Keitha.

What impressed was the versatility of Knutsford Musical Theatre Company, going from their classic productions last year to something completely different in ‘Rock of Ages’. The standard of the production was kept at a high level that has become expected from this company.

Overall, this was a very good production. The cast were full of rock energy, the band was certainly rocking, and the audience certainly had their faces melted!

A big thank you to everyone at Knutsford Musical Theatre Company for your kind invite and hospitality. All the best for your next production, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

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