Enjoy Celebrity Radio’s The Commitments Musical Review Palace Theatre West End…
The Commitments a feel good, high energy musical which delivers a fun 2 hours of theatre – perfect for people who hate traditional ‘musicals’!.
By the end it’s a party for all with the entire audience on their feet. If you liked We Will Rock You & Mamma Mia you’ll love The Commitments.
This musical is packed with over 20 of the greatest soul classics including: Night Train, Try A Little Tenderness, River Deep, Mountain High, In The Midnight Hour & Papa Was A Rolling Stone.
The Commitments tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young working class music fan, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians and friends into an amazing live act in Dublin.
Despite described as a ‘family musical’ – it is not! I wouldn’t want my kids hearing the language and some of themes used throughout.
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Let’s face it, the story is pretty simple – a group of friends form a band and take Dublin by storm. The first 25 minutes during rehearsals, outside of the staging, is quite a drag.
The first half is somewhat chaotic and certainly noisy. Obviously the band have to learn their craft and develop their act – we are party to everything! The good, bad and audibly ugly.
The scenery, lighting and staging is hugely impressive in this production. The jukebox of hits is certainly impressive and massively entertaining.
I was slightly disappointed by the PA which didn’t do the show justice. At times it was so loud it became annoying and certainly didn’t celebrate some of the powerful talent on stage.
This musical is not trying to be Pinter & Brecht – it’s simply feel good entertainment with a high energy cast.
Other songs include Save Me, Mustang Sally, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Reach Out, Uptight, Knock On Wood AND MANY MORE.
The cast pack a punch and do their best with the thin storyline and faultlessly work the brilliantly clever, technically challenging & constantly evolving set.
Nods go to Brian Gilligan as Deco for impressive vocals and one of the most awkward costume changes in theatre history. The mans got balls!
If your partner refuses to go to a musical, this could be the show for you. It’s more of a concert than a show and you can’t fail to be uplifted by the end.
3* for The Commitments.
Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7.30pm, Saturday matinee at 3pm
Sunday shows at 2:30pm & 7pm
Get Tickets for The Commitments Here
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 25th April 2015.
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