Rock Of Ages

It was lovely to be back at the Stamford Corn Exchange, and even better to see Seaton Starlights gracing the stage there for the first time. Meeting Director Lee Cook who kindly provided the glow sticks, the energy for the show “Rock of Ages” was tantalising through the whole theatre.

“Rock of Ages” is the story of Sherrie Christian (played by Stalights Chair, Louise Cook), an aspiring actress from the Mid-West who finds herself in Hollywood working at the legendary Bourbon Room, catching the eye of barkeep Drew Boley (played by Duncan Balcon). After a miscommunication between the budding lovers and Rock God Stacee Jaxx (played by Charlie Harris), we ask, will Drew “Keep on Lovin’ you” or will he “Hate myself for loving you”? And will the Bourbon Room be on “The Final Countdown” when a German investor starts moving in on the Sunset Strip?

I was so thrilled to see a live band on the stage to really do this musical justice. The energy that the band provided throughout the show was brilliant and gave the audience the feeling of being in the bar enjoying the music –  Joey Primo’s “Beaver Hunt” solo (played by Nick Lander)! Thanks to all the band: Mark A J Checkley the Musical Director on keyboard, Ben Clapinson on lead guitar, Ryan Moody on rhythm guitar, Linda Twohey on bass with Mark Rogers on drums.

The stage was set well with great use of the men’s room, which swung out to show us the inside, and use of the projection on the wall to distract (very successfully) whilst the scene changed, particularly bringing on the car, which I loved! The bar was well decorated to look like a typical 80’s rock and roll bar and the props were used well, like the beer bottles – I also loved the use of the llama and the light-up rings in the finale – I think some should have been on sale at the end for those of us that rocked all the way home! Well done to stage manager Malcolm Holmes and all the stage crew, Brendan McGarrity, Rob Sanders, Louis McAllister, Max Siggs, and Kevin Long!

This musical was really brought to life with the dance sequences, choreographed by Nicola Morris. The scenes with the Venus Dancers, and the scene with Franz and Regina were big hits! The Venus Dancers Kirsty Bishop, Kara Williams, Jenny Hall, Charlotte McAllister, Jade Gregory and Freya Morris gave sultry performances and the costumes were stunning.  

Kicking off the night in the Bourbon Room, we meet Lonny (played by Glen Whitmore) our narrator. Glen did a brilliant job with the character, having me laughing so hard with his comedic timing and audience engagement. His relationship (and that kiss!) with Dennis Dupree (played by Andrew Cleaver) was brilliant, and waving Dennis goodbye at the end, had me howling.

Andrew did a great job with Dennis, and I really felt that having Stacee Jaxx at the Bourbon Room was his final Hail Mary so he could put his feet up. The projections of his trips with Lonny to Paris, Pisa and Hawaii suggested he got there in the end.

Duncan Balcon did a great job with his performance as Drew Boley, with super range in his voice, and rock and roll in his heart! He pulled off the classic “nice guy” character, and really rocked us out in the final scene! He also did a fantastic job with the programs, that were very on point, with the back of the program laid out like a track listing for a cassette.

Louise did a fantastic job as Sherrie Christian, with her first scene fantasising of accepting her award before she leaves her mother and disapproving father for Hollywood, bringing us straight to the heart of her hopes and dreams for her move to Hollywood. Louise has a strong voice, and her American accent was very good.

Sherrie’s Mother and Father were played by Sarah Dorson and Chris Evans, with Chris also playing Ja’Keith. Chris had only signed up for the show a few weeks before opening night and had only been on stage performing in a band before taking on his acting debut at the Stamford Corn Exchange.

The real “breaking the fourth wall” character is “Waitress number 1” as she is referred to in the Bourbon room, and while this is a smaller part, Diane Lander did a great job with it, as it requires comedic responses which she nailed.

Stacee Jaxx, our comedic villain was played by Charlie Harris. It is very clear that he has a wonderful voice, and perfect comedic timing. I enjoyed his songs and Sherrie’s painful, revenge lap dance! The Llama at the end created the perfect moment from an earlier joke. Reporter Constance Sack (played by Phoebe Candlin) leads to a lovely scene introducing the audience to Jaxx’s love of himself, which Charlie performed with confidence and Phoebe’s reactions were very believable as that of someone lovestruck.

Blaize Jones-White did a great job as the strippers “Mama”, Justice Charlier, and her soulful voice was amazing in “Every Rose has it’s Thorn”. She was a strong character, but clearly loved her strippers (or the money they brought into her establishment).

Someone else with a love for money was the mayor, played by Dan Stamp. With no regard for the lives he may tear apart and clearly out of love with Rock and Roll, Dan did a good job with this weaselly character, making the audience pity and dislike him all at once.

Julian Barwell played our villain from Germany, Hertz Klinemann, and I was pleased to catch up with him after the show to let him know that we all hated him for what he did, which was evident from all the booing when the cast came to the final bows. I think this is testament enough to the great job Julian did in making us believe that he was a ruthless investor, and his German accent was fantastic!

Franz Klinemann, the loveable German wannabe chocolatier and son of the mean Hertz Klinemann, was portrayed by Marc Peacock-Smith. His dance sequence with Regina was inspired and I thought the way he brought his character to life, with me rooting for him to achieve his dream was wonderful. His German accent was also fantastic!

Zoe Stebbings did an amazing job as the activist Regina Kuntz who was protesting to prevent the development of the Sunset Strip. Zoe’s voice, characterisations, and costumes were all spot on. She did a particularly good job at staying in character with her foot in a cast and crutches towards the end, as I don’t think I could have stopped from busting a move.

The support for Regina’s quest to save the Bourbon Room was given by the protestors, Paul Sharp, Julie Sharp, Carol Bird, Annie Tappenden, Kevin Howard, Dillon Danks, Eleanor Taylor, and Nicholas Barwell. The program contained a lovely case study piece on Julie Sharp and how the group had been able to help her get on stage since her diagnosis with Lipoedema, highlighting their inclusivity.

This production was funny, broke the fourth wall well, engaged me in the story, me singing all through the interval, and then all the way home. The cast and crew should all be so proud!

 

 

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