Writer: Roddy Doyle
Director: Andrew Linnie
This musical production tells the tale of an eclectic, disorganised group of musicians with a shared love of Motown music who hope to become the best Irish soul band. Based on the BAFTA award-winning film, the production is adapted from the novel by Booker prize-winning author Roddy Doyle. The novella, The Commitments is part of a trilogy by Roddy Doyle, the second and third being ‘The Snapper’ and ‘The Van.’
With sharply written dialogue, scattered with working-class Dubliner expletives which are both authentic and funny, this show has some great music featuring well-known soul classics from Motown greats such as ‘Papa was a Rolling Stone’, ‘Think’, the beautiful ‘Try A Little Tenderness’, ‘River Deep, Mountain High’, ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ and ‘Mustang Sally’.
Jimmy Rabbite (James Killeen) is a local lad, unemployed for some years, who yearns to be a musical entrepreneur; he places a Classified Ad in the local press, looking for musicians to form a soul band.
Jimmy’s Elvis-loving dad (Nigel Pivaro, ex Coronation Street star) doesn’t understand his son’s passion for soul music; accomplished musicians play band members Deco (Ian McIntosh), Oustpan (Michael Mahony), Billy (Ryan Kelly), Dean (Conor Litten), Derek (Guy Freeman), James (Stephen O’Riain), Mickah (Ronnie Yorke) and Stuart Reid as Joey “The Lips” Fagan, the womanising experienced trumpet player who comes up with their name “The Commitments”, whilst Ciara Mackey (Imelda), Eve Kitchingman (Natalie) and Sarah Gardiner (Bernie) play the back-up singers.
The story is set against the rainy concrete bleakness of Dublin in the late 1980’s; the disorderly band of divergent personalities learn how to play together whilst they struggle to cope with the turmoils which accompany their triumph, such as sparring egos, in-fighting but at the same time, surprisingly strengthen their inter-band relationships.
The set is dark, gritty and realistic of Dublin inner-city life in the 1980’s; stone tenement blocks, drab flats, dreary shop fronts and dark, grubby garages. The show opens depicting Christmas in the local Community Centre with the band of hopefuls singing ‘Proud Mary.’
This is a passionate musical show capturing the eagerness and enthusiasm of an amateur group of musicians, each with their own personalities and mainly unhappy home lives, who are looking for something else in their lives, preferably with the inclusion of music.
The Motown hits are the real stars of the show with each song performed with gusto and endearment. This is a feel-good show, shrewdly observed with a wittily captured storyline about youngsters dreaming of finding a way out of their bland world.
It is an uplifting show with inspiration and energy by an accomplished cast; the music, musicians and vocals, both solos and harmonies are exceptional.
The show runs until 2nd April 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
Feel-good
