Writer: Ian Salmon
Director: Bob Eaton
Take yourself back to the 1960s, a time when male boy bands were dominating the music scene – The Kinks and The Rolling Stones to name but a few. Many may not remember The Liverbirds, the first all girl rock and roll band. But their story has now rightly been brought to the stage, putting them firmly back where they belong, in the spotlight.
Based on a true story, Girls Don’t Play Guitars, penned by Ian Salmon and directed by Bob Eaton, follows Val (Molly-Grace Cutler), Mary (Alice McKenna), Sylvia (Sarah Workman) and Pam (Lisa Wright) through their career, in a male dominated world. They tell the audience how club owners, audiences and boy bands were of the belief ‘girls don’t play guitars’ and how song by song, performance by performance, they were able to prove them absolutely wrong. Girls do play guitars, girls do play the drums, girls do sing and girls do bloomin’ well have talent!
The leading ladies have been cast to perfection, gelling perfectly together and bringing a rock and roll rapport, which has you tapping your feet and wanting to get up and dance. The vocals of Wright and Cutler are stunning and it really is the music in this performance that keeps you wanting more.
The story itself is a fascinating one – featuring the girls’ interactions with famous faces (some better than others!) and the decisions they made throughout their time in stardom. The dialogue often breaks the fourth wall, inviting audiences into their lives and adding a definite personal touch. But while the story touches on some more private moments, such as their dabbling with drugs and their love life, delving into these moments in more detail would provide more ups and downs in the narrative arc.
From the moment the curtains go up, you are wowed with the set in the quirky and perfect setting of The Royal Court. Television screens adorn the stage, with steps in the middle leading up to the main performance space for the girls – with three large screens above the performers, which is used to show some real footage from back in the day and help with scene setting throughout the duration of the production.
And on the press night, what an honour to see two of the original Liverbirds invited to the stage at the end of the show to perform Peanut Butter. Full of energy and charisma, they most definitely still have it!
Whether you have heard of The Liverbirds or you haven’t. Whether you’re from Liverpool or you’re not, this is a performance worth shouting about. While they may not be on the music scene any more, their story and their songs most definitely should be.Here’s hoping it takes to more stages in the future.
Runs until 26 October 2024.
The Reviews Hub Score
Rock and roll!
