Review: The Commitments, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘It’s a veritable cascade of Soul and Motown classics’

Your standard jukebox musical is simply a bundle of lavishly performed hits strung together with a gossamer-slim storyline – great fun with plenty of bopping in the aisles but nothing for those seeking an evening of satisfying narrative.

For all that it’s packed with Soul and Motown classics, The Commitments is not a jukebox musical. A lot of thought has gone into building the show firmly on the underpinnings of Roddie Doyle’s novel of the same name. There’s a proper story as well as great songs.

In the bleak economic deprivation of 1980s Dublin’s Northside, Jimmy Rabbitte (James Killeen) has a dream of forming a band that plays 1960s soul, which he proclaims the Music of the Working Classes. And so The Commitments are formed, belting out classics like Chain of Fools and Mustang Sally against a backdrop of shabby pubs and dilapidated community centres.

Full company, The Commitments – photo: Ellie Kurttz

As Jimmy dreams of the band making it to the big time, the inevitable clashing dynamics in any group packed with diverse personalities ultimately tear The Commitments apart just as success beckons. Doyle’s story provides some nuanced characterisation and insightful commentary on life in the rough end of Dublin back in the day.

Unfortunately, a lot of this is lost in performance. Most of the cast deliver – or should that be shout – the lines flatly, perhaps more focused on maintaining the distinctive Northside accent than actually lending verisimilitude to the characters they are presenting. Part of the blame must go to the sound system – with every actor miked and overamplified, it sounds like they’re delivering the script through a tannoy system. It’s sobering to think that when Bristol boy and Hollywood legend Cary Grant was making his acting debut on this very stage, actors managed to project their voices all the way to the Gods with lung power alone.

Ryan Kelly as Billy – photo: Ellie Kurttz

The one glorious exception to the general undercharacterisation is Ian Mcintosh as Deco, the Commitments’ lead singer: a raucous, dishevelled drunk with a discipline problem but the voice of an angel. Mcintosh imbues his character with both compelling swagger and an almost unbearable pathos as he pursues his dream to lift himself up from his deprived surroundings with his voice alone. It’s a powerful performance, and – as befits the lead singer – he dominates the stage every moment that he’s on it.

There is a plenty of cleverness in The Commitments. A lot of the songs are delivered only in snippets, providing a soundtrack to the action rather than the regular set pieces of the classic jukebox musical. Quite a few lyrics are subtly modified with Irish humour to capture more precisely the Dublin experience. And Jimmy’s Da – played by Nigel Pivaro, whom much older readers will remember as Coronation Street bad boy Terry Duckworth, and younger readers may recall playing Coronation Street sociopath Terry Duckworth – offers the grounding counterfoil of bitter experience to his son’s pie-in-the-sky dreams.

Nigel Pivaro as Jimmy’s Da – photo: Ellie Kurttz

But however much this production may disappoint in not making the best of its script, it’s not the story that the audiences flock for. It’s the songs – a veritable cascade of Soul and Motown classics. And there are some great musical moments, the highlight being an extravagant rendition of Papa Was a Rolling Stone.

Arranger Alan Williams has done magic in refusing to stick to the original arrangements (as Alan Parker’s film generally did), but instead reimagining the classic songs for even greater impact. Combined with Mcintosh’s rip-roaring delivery, the curtain finale of Try A Little Tenderness lifts the Hippodrome’s domed roof and sends the audience out into the streets with their hips still swaying.

(l-r) Stuart Reid as Joey, Ian McIntosh as Deco, Conor Litten as Dean – photo: Ellie Kurttz

The Commitments is at Bristol Hippodrome on March 20-25 at 7.30pm, with additional 2.30pm matinee shows on Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets are available at www.atgtickets.com.

Main photo: Ellie Kurttz

Read more: Review: Six, Bristol Hipodrome – ‘Get to know the real Queens’

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: