Rock of Ages at the Bristol Hippodrome - Theatre Review
Posted on: 2019-04-17
Our rating:
It is worth remembering that Rock of Ages is a grown up musical, full of crude humour, sexual innuendo, drink, drugs and pole dancers this is not one to bring the kids too - and maybe not one you’d want to watch with your Granny either!
Are you ready to rock? I hope the answer is a resounding yes, as for one week only Bristol Hippodrome has been turned into the Bourbon Room, a den of iniquity like none you have experienced before, where a cast of leather clad rockers and women in barely-there underwear are introducing us to the seedy world of LA’s Sunset Strip. Global smash hit musical Rock of Ages is in town and is shaking the very foundations of our historic theatre with its amped up music and over the top antics.
This is your typical LA love story, set to a banging soundtrack of 25 classic rock anthems which from the get go is guaranteed to have the audience singing and clapping along. This was most definitely the case last night, as rockers of all ages clad in the obligatory fringed leather jackets and leopard print and sporting some mighty big hair descended on the Hippodrome rocking out to epic songs including We Built This City, Dead or Alive, The Final Countdown and I Want to Know What Love Is.
This cheesy and irreverent jukebox music doesn’t take itself too seriously as it tells the story of small-town girl Sherrie and nice guy Drew who have dreams of making it big in LA’s ruthless entertainment industry. They meet, fall in love, separate because of a misunderstanding and get back together – the usual romantic schtick. It isn’t their story that holds the show together but the Bourbon Room, the mix of rock stars and wannabes who frequent the famous 1980s haunt and the battle to save the club from hard-hearted developers hell bent on tearing it down.
The story is narrated by Lonny, played by Lucas Rush and he really is the star of the show. Rush is hilarious running through a string of crude gags, displaying some superbly bitchy sarcasm and declaring his admiration for Kayleigh – a girl in the front row of the audience, who became the focus of ongoing jokes as the performance progressed. Interaction with the audience is a huge part of this show, with the fourth wall constantly being broken. This is not something I usually enjoy when I am at the theatre – I hate the cringe factor- but it really works for the concert style experience they are trying to create.
The characters are all larger than life caricatures of rockers, strippers and businessmen, no subtly in their interpretation as each person is portrayed with energy and flamboyance. There are stereotypes and clichés galore as the naïve farm girl, world weary strip club madame, jaded club owner and washed-up rocker trying to retain his youth by bedding his fans tell their stories.
Anthony Costa is great fun as the aging lothario rock star, hamming it up in some ridiculous scenes including one with a baby llama! While real musical oomph is provided by Zoe Birkett, her incredible soulful voice at times threatens to bring the roof down. Humour, a little pathos and some powerful singing from a superb cast make Rock of Ages a great night at the theatre.
It is worth remembering that Rock of Ages is a grown up musical, full of crude humour, sexual innuendo, drink, drugs and pole dancers this is not one to bring the kids too - and maybe not one you’d want to watch with your Granny either!
Article by:
Sarah-Jane is an aficionado of film, theatre, culture and the arts. A voracious reader and avid crafter, she can be found volunteering her face painting talents at Bristol Zoo when she's not cementing her reputation as Coalpit Heath’s cake maker extraordinaire. Known to have an opinion on everything she’s never happier than when sharing these with the good folk of Bristol!
