Rock of Ages

Again, a completely new show for me. And it is confession time . . .  I approached this show with trepidation because I knew it was a Rock Musical and . . . this music does not appeal to me at all! That said, I went with an open mind. The show began with an energy-fused number with the entire company taking part and bonded as one to bring an extremely pulsating show to the stage. Now I knew many of the players on stage but, due to wigs, additional facial hair pieces etc., I had great difficulty in recognising who was who! The story line is rather complicated and, at times, rather raunchy, and has a great variety of characters playing the many various parts. Neil Hutton made a first class Lonnie Barnett, who narrated the show, set in Hollywood 1987; and Gavin White, was his side-kick, Dennis Dupree, who owned The Bourbon Club. Both guys brought the house down with their comedy number Can’t Fight This Feeling. The love interest was provided by an excellent Scott McRuvie, playing aspiring rocker Drew Boley, who meets and falls in love with Sherrie Christian, an upcoming actress, played with great sincerity by Eilidh Robertson. Spoiling their romance was Billy Naismith as big-headed star singer Stacee Jaxx, who copulates with Sherrie in the men’s room! Nasty man! In another side to the story, enter, German developers Mother Helga Klinemann, played by Lynne Binnie, complete with black leather coat and whip (a Herr Flick lookalike!) and Stuart Whyte as her simpering son, Franz, hiding a secret. Despite their evil intentions, they bring quite a considerable amount of comedy to the stage. As the plot deepens, we also meet the Mayor (Claire Rioch); City Planner Regina Kuntz (Chloe Anderson), and Justice Charlier, the owner of the nearby Venus Club, tenderly played by Heidi Cathro. The show is loud, noisy, brash, and gives lots of ensemble work, and there was a great “live” rock band to play the music. This was a “new” looking TADAMS on stage, so all there is left for me to say is . . . ROCK ON!

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