Rock of Ages
May Hall, Trent College, Long Eaton
26th March 2024
Gatepost Theatre
Director Chris Collington
Rock of Ages is a self-referential jukebox-musical, which skims a central plot-line that holds no real jeopardy, but rather serves as a vehicle for the cast to let their long permed hair down, and have an absolute riot – and this is exactly what Gatepost Theatre have done with their current production.
This is a joyous romp through the hair-metal era of the 1980s, which allows Gatepost to continue to place themselves at the absolute pinnacle of amateur musical theatre in the East Midlands. The sheer volume and scale of the songs and performance needs, make this a challenging show to tackle, and in director Chris Collington’s own words, he and this show have “unfinished business.” It seems as though with a production this electrifying, any of that business has been firmly put to bed.
Rock of Ages follows the story of small-town girl Sherrie (Hollie Smith) from Oklahoma and city boy Drew (Jack David) as they chase their dreams in the midst of Sunset Strip’s iconic rock scene. The plot picks up the very 80s themes of consumerism and land development, intertwining with the pursuit of fame, love and ambition, all set to a soundtrack of classic rock anthems from the era.
The cast really are stellar. Smith’s Sherrie segues effortlessly from country girl, to ambitious waitress, groupie, stripper and rock goddess. Her incredible vocals hit every note, and despite the authentic Hollywood Boulevard-style costuming she manages to exude a charm and innocence endearing the audience to her character and making us root for her budding relationship with Drew to kickstart its heart. David is an engaging Drew, with a belting voice. He really sells the “lovelorn cleaner with a dream” whilst the vulnerability of his character is juxtaposed with the ability to knock out rock classics with apparent ease.
The two leads are supported by Simon Owen’s Dennis Dupree, the aging owner of the infamous Bourbon Rooms, Lottie Lodge’s Justice, the owner of the Vine Strip Club, Rachelle Bragg’s Helga, the German developer who wants to knock down sunset strip, and Collington’s Stacee Jaxx – a heady combination of Axl Rose, Sebastian Bach, Bret Michaels and any other number of hair-metal Rock Gods of the 80s, who is out for booze, drugs and as many women as he can get. Exceptional comic relief is provided by Jude Cliffman as Regina, who essentially mounts a one-woman protest against the developers, and a brilliant comic aside from Harrison Ince as Franz, Regina’s ultimate love interest and the show’s bad-guy-gone-good: “I’m not gay, I’m German” summing up the feel of the whole production.
A special mention must also go here to the ensemble cast, every one of them constantly in role, always supporting and providing incredible backing vocals throughout. The joy of the ensemble is when individuals step in and out of the spotlight, making the whole show feel safe and supported. The musical and singing talent of this cast is genuinely excellent, and a special mention goes to Laura Howard for her energy and performance ability, which shines like a beacon.
But it is Luke Grainger as Lonny who is the undoubted star of this show. From the second he steps onto the stage as the techie-cum-narrator, his work as the “conjurer of dreams” never stops. Belting out enormous hits, engaging with the audience throughout, building up the comedy, the jeopardy and the energy, and driving the plot and characters with ease, charm and ability, he never misses a single beat. This role is an awesome undertaking, and Grainger’s energy and skill proves a real crowd favourite throughout.
In terms of the overall production, Gatehouse look after their audience – the set is carefully considered, with posters, doors, split levels and a screen, which not only provides backdrop in parts, but also some film and great comedy moments. If there’s a criticism, it is that towards the end of act one it felt slightly chaotic and a number of plot points were presented in such quick succession, it was difficult to process, but the plot – as the script and cast acknowledge – is largely a foil for the songs and dances, so a very minor point.
Huge credit must go to the choreographer, Lottie Lodge, for not only the complicated dances, but also the constant movement of cast around the stage, and to the MD Martin Lewis, whose work underscores almost every second of the play, with the incredible live band made up of Lewis, Tim Yearsley, Chris Renshaw, Rob Hill and Jack Helan, who also play minor cameos in terms of the plot, but are the ultimate driving force throughout the whole show. Their seamless inclusion made all the more noticeable at the point where Dennis Dupree quizzically asks “have you been here the whole time?”
This is a feel-good musical which Gatepost have triumphed with. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but seriously enough that it resonates with the whole audience, particularly those of us who lived through the hair-metal era. I can’t recommend this highly enough for a fantastic evening out.
