Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments
Reviewed in American in Britain magazine (Spring 2014) by Lydia Parker
This new stage version of Roddy Doyle’s novel, set in 1986 Dublin is a joy from beginning to end. Fans of the 1991 film directed by Alan Parker may be disappointed only in that unlike the film, it has a happy ending. True to its gritty roots, the play takes place on a council estate in a rundown neighbourhood, beautifully conveyed by Soutra Gilmour’s versatile set where the world is limited to a café, a laundrette, a community hall and a garage (although a slaughterhouse is also brought in!).
The Commitments tells the story of young Jimmy Rabitte who is in love with American soul music and wants to create and manage his own band. His supportive family put up with his friends and bandmates trooping in and out of the house, playing loud Stevie Wonder and Wilson Pickett on the record player. Piecing together a rag tag band of friends and auditionees, including Joey the Lips Fagin who claims to have played with Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and James Brown, Jimmy soon has his group. The lead singer, Deco, is a pig, singing with a mouthful of chips and constantly picking his nose, but has the voice of a Motown star. The girls, brought in for the glamour, fare less well but with enough practice, and much attention from Joey the Lips, they soon improve to compete with Deco for the limelight.
The grim reality of the working class of Dublin in 1986 is only touched upon- Billy is told off for smoking hash at a rehearsal as Derek’s brother had a drug problem. The band gets a gig at the bingo hall by saying it’s an anti-heroin campaign. Violent Mickah, who is hired as a sort of bouncer, looks and behaves like a skin head but is very loyal and really just wants to be part of the band, ending up as their Animal- like drummer.
The wonderful thing about this version of The Commitments is that it is a musical that feels like a play. In the first act a lot of the great soul hits are played scrappily, cut off in the middle or sung badly as the group learns to be a band in Joey’s mother’s garage. As their skills improve and they start to get actual gigs, the music comes pouring out, and the audience roots for them to succeed. By the finale, the audience could no longer contain themselves and were up on their feet dancing and absolutely loving the characters they had got to know during the course of the play. It wouldn’t be giving anything away to say that although the band does implode as in the original story, just when they are about to be offered a recording contract, the ending is less depressing and more like a party.
Credit must go to director Jamie Lloyd, who gives the play a messy, natural feel even while delivering tight musical numbers. Roddy Doyle himself wrote the book, preserving his own unique dialogue. The performers were excellent, worked well together as a group and many of the cast managed to slip in and out of several ensemble roles with ease. Denis Grindell was bursting with excitement and energy as Jimmy Rabitte, Ben Fox shone as the newly religious but still randy Joey the Lips, Joe Woolmer managed to be both hilarious and dangerous as Mickah, and Killian Donnelly was a stand out in every way as the occasionally repellent Deco. The wiry, physical actor could not have been further from the famous Deco of The Commitments film, Andrew Strong, who was more confrontational and obnoxious. This Deco just has no interest in social conventions and lives his life how he wants to. He is odd and eccentric rather than dislikeable. Mr Donnelly has an exceptional voice and with the very talented Jessica Cervi, Stephanie McKeon and Sarah O’Connor, gave the audience their money’s worth of searing Irish soul music. Audience members were happily singing and still dancing on the way out.
The Commitments on at The Palace Theatre, 109-113 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5AY Box Office: 0844 874 0790
