“You might be school kids and livin’ in dead-end Dublin – but you’re doin’ it! You’re making
music!”
It’s Dublin, 1982, and sixteen year old Conor can’t catch a break. His parents are fighting, hisbrother won’t leave the house and he’s not fitting in at his new Catholic school.
Enter Raphina, a mysterious girl who’s too cool for school and on the lookout for a modelling
job. In an effort to impress, Conor hires her to star in a music video for his band. Only
problem is he doesn’t have a band. Yet.
With a score that embraces the new wave sounds of the 80s, Sing Street is an ode to the
thrill of young love and a celebration of the power of music to lift us up.
Tony Award winners Enda Walsh (Once) and Rebecca Taichman (Indecent), with music
from Gary Clark (Danny Wilson), bring John Carney’s beloved coming-of-age film to the UK
stage for the first time in this brand new production, following sell-out runs in Boston and
New York.
t seems to aspire to be like The Commitments but feels like a paler reflection. What saves it is the score – the original by Carney and Gary Clark – and the singing. There are high-quality performances and strong voices particularly from Collender and Townsley. Emotion is eked out by the end, although the show drags its feet to get there. Ultimately, it is gig theatre, with a vacuum in-between its uplifting songs.
This production has been a labour of love for director Rebecca Taichman and writer Enda Walsh, after Covid vetoed the original production. The commitment and care it must have taken to finally bring it to The Lyric 5 years later has permeated into the show. There’s a warmth and love for the characters, as if Taichman has been their guardian and now successfully landed them in London. The writing and storytelling are efficient and continuously engaging. The pacing is perfect, nothing is overindulged or thrown away. Walsh is generous with zippy one-liners, schoolboy quirks and captures the oft forgotten hope and fun that is usually labelled as the ‘ innocence or foolishness’ of youth. The songs “Up” and “Drive It Like You Stole It” are standout, stand-up and dance numbers from the original score by John Carney and Gary Clark.
| 2019 | Off-Broadway |
New York Theatre Workshop Off-Broadway World Premiere Off-Broadway |
| 2023 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| 2025 | West End |
West End |
Videos