The Commitments - Review

The Commitments is currently on at The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, where a feel-good time can be had by all. You'd be an absolute eejit to miss it!

After its record-breaking successful run in London’s West End an astonishing 5 years ago, it’s now back on our stages. Based on the novel by Booker prize-winning author Roddy Doyle and subsequently the 1991 film, a 2013 musical stage production was directed by Jamie Lloyd. This new production is directed by Andrew Linnie.

The music undoubtedly plays a part in the success of the show with over 20 soul classics performed live on stage including: ‘Try A Little Tenderness’, ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours’, ‘It’s A Thin Line Between Love and Hate’ and many more!

The musical tells the story of Jimmy, a working-class, young music fan, who goes on to shape an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians and friends into one of the finest soul bands Dublin has ever seen. Some of the musicians turn out to be inspiring discoveries, Deco and Joey ‘The Lips’ Fagan, played by Stuart Reid. Before long the band is being packed in at the local pubs and clubs, but along the way, they face the trials and tribulations of being in the ‘biz’.

This was without a doubt one of the funniest productions I have seen. From the moment the cast walked on set and began to perform ‘Proud Mary’, there was instant humour delivered through their speech and physicalities. Throughout the whole show, the audience was in fits of laughter, which I always think is a good sign.

The attention to detail in this production was second to none. They managed to capture the essence of Dublin, bringing real honesty to their characters and I think that their exquisite Irish accents combined with the use of the typical colloquial language of the North Side of Dublin added to the performance.

Praise must be given to the whole creative team for an exceptional production. But a special mention must go to set designer Tim Blazdell for his cleverly designed set. Often, I find that productions can have quite bulky sets that require many people to move them on and off stage. But it was clear that in this production efficiency had been thought of, allowing sets to be multi-functional.

The whole cast was terrific and the role of Deco last night was played by James Deegan, who brought the character to life. James Killeen was hilarious as Jimmy, often giving motivational if somewhat misplaced and unnecessary speeches to his group such as “The Irish, all the blacks of Europe, Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland, and the North Siders are the blacks of Dublin... So say it loud -- I'm black and I'm proud.!”

So, if you want to hear ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ sung as Deco shovels chips into his mouth (which, trust me, you do) then head on down to The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, where The Commitments is on until the 15th October 2022. Tickets are available at the following link https://www.grandtheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-commitments/