Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages — a jukebox musical staged and performed by Rainhill Musical Theatre Company at Rainhill Village Hall, Danes Court, Rainhill, on Friday 19th June 2026.

This brave and spirited tribute to the era of Glam Rock, is packed with dynamic performances and iconic music from a book by Chris D’Arienzo. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, The Bourbon Room, a struggling rock venue, finds itself caught in the middle of corporate development plans. Songs from Bon Jovi, Journey, Def Leppard and others underscore this tale of dreams and Hollywood.  Soon after hopping off a bus from the Midwest, aspiring singer Sherrie Christian finds herself in trouble. Coming to her rescue is Drew, an aspiring young musician who works at the club. With stars in their eyes, the young lovers chase their dreams, but a misunderstanding involving rock legend Stacee Jaxx threatens to tear them apart.  So, we sat back and waited for rock anthems like ‘I Wanna Rock’, ’Heaven’ and ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ to fill the room… we didn’t have to wait long!

Creatives... James Cave (Director); Wayne Oakes (Musical Director); Libby Blindell (Choreographer); Michelle Williams (Dance Captain) were the team chosen to guide us through this rock opera. In 2024, I had the privilege of seeing AMAS stage this musical with James and Libby in charge of the direction and choreography for that, so having directed and choreographed it before, their knowledge and understanding was obvious... same storyline… but fresh great ideas!  So, I suppose you could say Wayne and his band were the “newbies”, but Wayne did what Wayne does and ‘Yes’, things did get loud ... “it’s Rock of Ages” folks, but his experience showed, the band supported never overpowered the cast and they helped us all to rock the night away. We had some great dancers on show, led by Michelle and with Libby’s full‑of‑energy choreography, that played to everyone’s strengths, we got rock anthems and intimate numbers delivered with ease... congrats!  

Cast ... twenty‑one enthusiastic, well‑rehearsed performers took to the stage including: 
Lynsey Corner who played ‘Lonny Barnett’  (Narrator & Assistant Nightclub Manager)
Paul Robinson –  Dennis Dupree’  (Owner of The Bourbon Room)
James Cave  - ‘Stacee Jaxx’  (Rock God – who stepped into role just weeks before opening night!)
Julie Gould – ‘Justice Charlier’  (Owner of a “seedy club for gentlemen”)
George Roberts – ‘Drew Boley’ — (Bourbon Room worker... chasing rock stardom)
Alisha Ward – ‘Sherrie Christian’ (Naive small‑town girl pursuing movie stardom)
Claire Jones – ‘Regina Koontz’ — (A feisty city planner fighting to save ‘The Strip’ from developers)
Julie Robinson – ‘Hertz Klinemann’ — (The uptight German developer )
Oscar Rowley – ‘Franz Klinemann’ - (Flamboyant dreamer, shy and gentle)
Plus we had ...  Chris Hunter, Pip Bradshaw, Pauline Doyle, Charlotte Orme, Meg Charlton, Michelle Williams, Emily‑Jane Nugent‑Brant, Haydn Saunders, Fiona O’Gorman, Megan Hughes, Steph Tancred — all contributing to the very lively and enthusiastic ensemble.
Wow... ‘It was hot off stage… even hotter on!’ .... we were in the midst of a heatwave, days away from the hottest day of the year — but the challenges for this production started weeks earlier when a main character decided to leave. When problems arise, heroes appear… and this was the case! Anyone who’s read my show reports will knows this is where I highlight MY favourites and MY Show Stealers....  well, my show stealer was that hero: James Cave, not only did he direct the show, he stepped in as ‘Stacee Jaxx’ — 
and nailed it! His characterisation, mannerisms, stage presence and rock‑star persona were spot on, oh add to that an amazing rock voice… and you see why he stole the show for me! Be proud, James — great job.  Alisha Ward wasn’t far behind James, playing the naïve wannabe actress ‘Sherrie Christian’ with energy, innocence and total self‑belief! She also provided us with some great vocals in ‘More Than Words’ and ‘Harden My Heart’, and worked ever so well with Stacee and Drew. Be proud, Alisha! Lynsey Corner’s Lonny Barnett was cheeky, confident and full of charm. From first entrance to final bow, she just made you feel part of the production. Claire Jones, Oscar Rowley, Julie Gould and Paul Robinson — Regina, Franz, Justice and Dennis respectively - created great characters, as did many others, just too many to mention individually, sorry! When you give your all, as Rainhill MTC did that evening, there’s very little else you can ask for — and there’s no doubt that’s what makes a successful musical.

Stage/Tech ... an open stage greeted us! The set design was practical, capturing the worn, chaotic charm of The Bourbon Room with clever visual storytelling. Andy Pink (Stage Manager); Karen Woods (Stage Design); Karen Woods, Dave Flanagan & Claire Jones (Set Build); Karen Woods & Claire Jones (Stage Leads) should be ever so proud. Rainhill Community Centre isn’t the easiest venue to stage any production let alone a complicated one like this ... it was a challenge, a challenge accepted by everyone involved and handled with great aplomb!  Lighting (Aber Lighting) was simple yet effective — a few dark patches, but given the limitations, a good job. Sound (Kelsey Fulton) ... we did have some slow mics and crackles, but again, this is one tough venue for sound as I’ve highlighted many times over the years... but add a rock score, multiple singers and constant movement to deal with, all I can say is “I’m glad it wasn’t me.” Kelsey stood up, delivered, and was still smiling (and sweating) at the end! Well done everyone- not easy!

Band ... give a band a rock score and you’ll see their eyes light up! It can just run away with them, it can get too loud; it can overpower the cast... NOT HERE! With the ‘masterful Wayne Oakes’ (MD/Keys); Max Holden & Josh Eckert‑Gorst (Guitar); Kevin Bates (Bass); Isaac Harthill (Drums) they supported the cast brilliantly. Great sound... be proud guys, you rocked our World that evening!

Costumes ... a fabulous set of era‑appropriate costumes overseen by Pip Bradshaw, Ruth Gibb, Karen Woods, Claire Jones and the cast. 
Props ... wonderful props and stage furniture, used and supported the cast well — Claire Jones (Prop Master), Karen Woods, Dave Flanagan & Claire Jones.

I hope you can tell from my show report that I really did enjoy this production but I was a little concerned about the reaction or should I say the lack of reaction from a great number of your faithful supporters sat directly in front of me.  I’ve seen many productions here at Danes Court over the past seven, eight years, but the lack of applause and support from a great number of members was a concern. I genuinely think ‘show choice’ is important ... as important as casting calls — get it wrong and it can affect your audience numbers, beyond that one show! This is just an observation, not a complaint and I really hope that I haven’t offended anyone, that was never my intention!

I’ve said this before and I’ll know doubt say it again, it really is a pleasure to visit Dane Court and meet up with the cast and members of this ever so friendly society! Thanks, as always to everyone connected with the society for inviting my wife and I ... we really did enjoy the production! Again, as always, a ‘special thanks’ to Keith Marsh for looking after us… can’t wait to see your next production and already looking forward to ‘Come from Away in 2027.

Stay safe and keep well…
‘STRONGER TOGETHER’
Jim Briscoe
NODA North West
District 6 Rep

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