The Who's Tommy

This is not a show that has been performed by amateurs very much, indeed I can only think of two other productions since it was in the West End.  This is not surprising as it is a very tricky show to stage and it takes a lot of courage to take it on.  LODS have done it proud, although the story was not very clear at first and, without the synopsis in the programme, may have been a bit bewildering for the audience.

In truth it is all about the music and the band, led by MD Ashton Moore, really did rock.  They were playing almost continuously and the cast barely paused for breath.  There were some really strong performances from all the main characters, Glenn Sanderson, playing the adult version of Tommy, really has an excellent voice.  I saw Alex Reed playing young Tommy and his stage presence was excellent with a beautiful voice to match.  I am only sorry that I didn’t see Freddie Sharpe playing the part too.

Sarah Kelleway (Mrs Walker) and Peter Brown (Captain Walker) both gave their usual excellent performances and Steve Wilding was suitably creepy as Uncle Ernie.  I had seen the production in the West End, many years ago and knew that the story had some bits that could make uncomfortable watching.  However Director Mark Valencia got this about right and we understood the underlying issues without it being over played.

The Ensemble worked very hard and, although I didn’t really understand the use of three cousin Kevins (and their girlfriends) it worked.  I also thought the cartoon like nature of some of the performances were a bit odd and, for me, didn’t add anything to the production.  I must mention Helen Sharpe’s performance as the Acid Queen, simply outstanding.

Overall, though a strong, rocking, performance that was delivered at a very fast pace.  I was exhausted just watching, so the cast and band must have been equally exhausted and I hope that they can keep the pace up to the end of the run.

It’s not a show that is likely to be performed too often but LODS pulled it off and well done too.

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