Review: Quadrophenia
Thursday 24th September 2009, 9:05AM BST.
Quadrophenia
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
It was a concept album in 1973, a film in 1979 and now it’s a musical.
However, if you’re planning on seeing Quadrophenia at The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this week I’d advise you to first either reach for the original album by The Who or watch the film on DVD – at least then you’ll have a fighting chance of understanding what’s going on.
Although the story of one young mod’s troubled development is more straightforward than that other Who concept album, Tommy, the production is still fairly bonkers.
For starters, we have four troubled mods on stage – each representing a part of the central character’s personality. You’ll work that bit out for yourself, even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the show, but I bet you’ll be scanning the programme at the interval for help in understanding the plot.
Matters aren’t helped by the fact that at times it can be very hard to hear the lyrics, and some of the characters are so ill-defined that when they burst into song you wonder who they are and why they’re singing. Often you watch the imaginative choreography feeling as confused as our pill-popping, gin-swilling ‘hero’. The programme notes help – but you shouldn’t need them to follow a show.
Still, there is much to enjoy. Quadrophenia has an excellent cast who really give it their all and the songs – performed by a top-notch band — are great (obviously; they’re by The Who). It’s full of energy and life, and in early scenes you do get an impression of how exciting being young in the sixties must have been.
There were a fair few Harrington jackets and Ben Sherman shirts in the stalls, but those who aren’t quite so familiar with the material may well find it all a bit of a struggle.
By Andrew Owen
- Quadrophenia runs until Saturday
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Despite not trying to compare the film with the stage show, the production of Quadrophenia at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton is a serious disappointment. It was almost unique in my experience in that having seen the first half of the show, we didn’t feel inclined to stay for the second half.
Put very simply, the production doesn’t work. Admittedly bringing such a wide-ranging story to the stage is never going to be easy, but the idea of using no less then four actors to portray four different faces of Jimmy, the main character, is overkill to the extent that we were left completely confused.
The four actors are onstage simultaneously, changing position and focus with such rapidity that we had little idea what was the theme of each moment. There was insufficient demarcation between the tone of the four characters, and we had little idea which was which and what each one was trying to convey. Anyone without a programme must have wondered why four Jimmies were coexisting, unless it was intended as a play on the word Quad.
All this was further hindered by over-loud music, drowning the already indistinct vocalisation, leaving us unable to distinguish any of the lyrics despite being familiar with the film and general style of sound. The production, whilst conveying something of the dreadful angst of adolescence, failed to tell a coherent story, attempting the narration by continuous musical numbers, lacking anything in between to glue together the tenuous train of events.
Other characters were not well defined, with the possible exception of the friction between any one of the many indistinct Jimmies and his squabbling parents. Even the fate of, and reason for his father’s death, was fuzzily handled.
Dialogue-less, and with far too much indeterminate swapping of the lead character, the show does not hang together. The best part of the show was parked outside – a line of scooters on parade, each one the result of considerable work and care by the parka’d owners, justifiably proud of their mounts – high praise indeed – I speak as a dedicated motorcyclist!
Save your ticket fee and buy a DVD of the film.
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I loved every moment of this production. I grew up with the music and the film, but had no idea how they were going to put Quadrophenia on the stage. What they did was amazing and i think it worked perfectly. The actors were great and such amazing voices and so was the band. Their performance truly deserved the long standing ovation that they got and was topped off by everyone singing “We are the mods”. Go and see it for yourself, make your own mind up, lots of very happy and excited people left the theater that night.
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We saw this show in Birmingham, loved it. Everyone was raving about how great it was on the way back home. The music spoke for it’s self, it didn’t need dialogue. Are we turning into Americans were everything needs to be simplified and explained?
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I don’t know about turning into Americans, but I would imagine you were already very familiar with the material. And this is the point, isn’t it? If you’re not there is something of a barrier between you and the show. This is a pity because the actors and the band really put their heart into it.
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You don’t need to know anything about the film or to have heard the music before, a few of the girls in our group hadn’t seen the film, but loved it all the same.
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One word – confusing! Nothing like the film, which most people who attended Saturday’s performance were obviously expecting. The 4 Jimmys concept was easy enough to work out, but with a great, but overly-loud band drowning out 90% of the lyrics, the story line was virtually incomprehensible. I think those who are raving about are simply trying to justify the money they have spent on the tickets. I certainly can think of a better way to have spent my £61.00! If all you’re after is the music and to chant ‘we are the Mods’ then stay at home, put your CD on really loud and dance about in your parka… it’s cheaper!
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Great show
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Totally amazing show, i didn’t expect the film, i expected a stage show and every second of it was amazing. It seemed to me there were loads of happy people leaving at the end of the night. As for the price, well i think you just want to moan.
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Some of these reviews are over analytical. The concept of the show is emotional not logical the music tells the story no words are needed.On the weekend I started a ‘Let’s get Quadrophenia on the West Ene Stage NOW!’ forum on Facebook I now have 235 supporters this number goes up every evening about an hour after curatain down funny that. Some people get it! This is a stage show based on the original album not the film, the film was not a musical after all. If you had stayed until the end you would have seen all loose ends tied. So if anyone wants a fantastic night in the company of incredibly talented young people singing some of the best songs in rock history this is the show for you . One word sums it up AWESOME!!!!
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Awesome!!
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Anyone on Facebook can support the cause ‘Lets get Quadrophenia on the West End Stage NOW!!!’
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We saw Quadrophenia on the second night at Birmingham, we were blown away. Any comparison to the film is moot – as an interpretation of the original Rock Opera, it’s almost flawless.
We want to go again, it was really an experience of a lifetime.
If it was confusing, then that’s because having a split personality is I would imagine….
The film has it’s own charm (and faults) but you have to forget that was someone else’s interpretation of the source material, the stage show is probably truer to Townsends vision, especially as he was directly involved in the stage version.
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It was fantastic, loved every moment. I can’t understand why anyone would walk out of the show, unless of course you don’t like music, live theater or the 60′s. If that’s the case why would you go in the first place. I highly recommend going, a brilliant night out.
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