The Commitments is a musical written by Roddy Doyle, based on the novel of the same name and the subsequent 1991 film version. The show made its West End and world premiere in 2013 at London's Palace Theatre and features classic soul music such as Proud Mary, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and Try A Little Tenderness.
Set in mid-80s Dublin, the plot is simple and see's a group of young adults form a band - The Commitments - to bring soul music to the working class people of the world. It's fair to say they're a fractious bunch with some incredibly committed members and some incredibly talented ones who have trouble with people skills!
All in all, it's 2 and a half hours of out of this world, sing-a-long soul music from one of the most talented casts I've seen in a show of this style for a long time!
First thing's first - this isn't the film, on stage. Many previous reviewers have validly pointed out that the musical version of the story removes some of the grit for a theatre audience. The Commitments is also very much a jukebox musical - and unashamedly so. Whilst there is a plot, it's definitely not Shakespeare and really acts as a vehicle for the cast to deliver some outstanding vocals. Music is absolutely what this show is about and it's clear to see why it's a crowd favourite - with a soundtrack that reads like a chart rundown of the biggest and best tracks of the genre, this production is set to be a roaring success from the get-go.
Andrew Linnie is beautifully cast as Jimmy, the man tasked with forming the band and maintaining (some sort of!) decorum. He exudes confidence and clearly knows the show inside out, having originated the role of Dean in the West End production. Kevin Kennedy, best known as Curly Watts from Coronation Street - but with a string of musical theatre roles to his name - has a sharp tongue and brings a great comic element to the role of Jimmy's Dad; one which has a comparatively short amount of stage time, but which Kennedy proves is a lynch-pin in the show.
However the stand out performance of the evening, for me, has to be Brian Gilligan's portrayal of Deco; the extraordinarily talented vocalist with a distinct lack of people-skills. At times, his soulful lilt is reminiscent of the power and tone of Mick Hucknall and has the audience on their feet for the latter part of the show. Absolutely a performance to be applauded.
The Commitments is a show that does what it does incredibly well. It's a celebration of Ireland (which is completely at home in Birmingham), soul music and stand out performances. It's not a show with a long drawn out story and, thankfully, nor is it the sort of jukebox musical that crowbars a plot-line in because it feels it should. Watching this show is like watching a live gig from a stand-out band...and then getting to see some of the backstage goings on as a fly on the wall.
Fortunately, that's exactly what The Commitments should be - and it does it very well indeed.
The show runs at The New Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 18th March.
