Rock Of Ages At New Theatre, Cardiff Review
TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Mrs_Taylor
The hard hitting, fun loving, and in-your-face musical Rock of Ages arrived at the New Theatre in Cardiff and boy, did that 80s rock nostalgia hit us hard. Running until Saturday, May 21st, this is not a show to be missed.
The musical (written by Chris D’Arienzo) is a classic boy-meets-girl story on steroids. Set in 1987 at the fictional Sunset Boulevard bar – The Bourbon Room – it features Drew (Sam Turrel) initially meeting and then falling in love with Sherrie (Gabriella Williams) with a rollercoaster of emotions in between. Featuring twenty five of the biggest mind blowing hits of the 1980s (count “We Built this City”, “Cum on feel the Noize”, “Keep on Loving You” and “Every Rose has its Thorn” among the numbers), Rock of Ages had us tapping our feet, clapping our hands, and singing under our breath for two hours. I’d apologise to those next to us, but I know they were doing exactly the same.
While a song or two may have felt a bit mangled (put that down to the over-the-top John Cleese-esque German accents) they did not fail to encapsulate the crowd. The songs were woven into the narrative effortlessly, and with the seamless choreography of the cast, provided a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit hundred-miles-an hour, two hours. The lighting throughout the entire show was also incredible and really made you feel like you were at a rock show.
The casting set the tone for this rollercoaster of a musical. With some recognisable names, a special mention goes to Matt Terry, who’s portrayal of Stacee Jaxx was entertaining, and whose voice was the perfect fit for the rocker’s hard hitting vocals. Jenny Fitzpatrick captivated as Justice, and Erin Bell dragged us towards the revolution (we were happy to oblige – long live the proletariat!) as Regina.
Joe Gash as Lonny gave us an entertaining, effortlessly witty, and charismatic character, who’s interactions with the crowd set the baseline for the entire rocking production. His character bounced back and forth with Dennis Dupree (Kevin Kennedy) , the Bourbon Room owner. Pessimistic, sarcastic comedy was second nature to Kevin Kennedy and was the ying to the yang of the show’s at times almost pantomime-esque comedy.
The last number, “Don’t Stop Believing” can’t fail to get you singing and dancing with the cast and was the perfect way to round off the evening.
New Theatre is a lovely theatre with a welcoming atmosphere as soon as you reach the foyer. There is a bar both upstairs and downstairs which serves a great selection of wine, beer and spirits as well as a stall to buy ice cream and sweets from and you are able to buy your drinks in advance so they will be ready for you in the interval.
I had really great seats in the circle which gave me a great view of the stage and the atmosphere and energy from the crowd was really contagious. If you are after a show which will lift your spirits and also allow you to sing along to so many great hits then make sure you grab tickets as soon as you can!
Rating: 4/5
The show is on from Tuesday 17 May until Saturday 21 May 2022
Running time: 2 hours 35 minutes (inc. interval) starting at 7.30pm
Ticket prices cost from £15 – £42.50 and may include a £3.65 transaction fee.
Tickets can be booked by visiting:
https://newtheatrecardiff.co.uk/Online/tickets-rock-of-ages-cardiff-2022
At: New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3LN