Review: THE COMMITMENTS, Bristol Hippodrome

We're in Dublin and it's 1986. Jimmy and his musician friends are fed up of art school synth music and want to bring soul music back to the people. The Commitments is adapted from Roddy Doyle's novel of the same name (that in turn was made into a cult hit film). However, for a show that proclaims on countless occasions that soul is 'the music of the people' and eulogises about its importance, it's evening strangely devoid of that very thing.

The crucial problem with The Commitments is that the show doesn't know what it wants to be. It's not a full-blown jukebox musical that pumps out the hits nor is it a plot-driven play where the songs explode out of the drama (see Jersey Boys for how to accomplish both). As a result, it's an unsatisfying hybrid. You get snippets of the songs interspersed with short vignettes of dialogue, but neither truly work. Thankfully, director Caroline Jay Ranger keeps things moving with a pace and slickness that covers some of those gaps.

The Commitments invests such little time in the characters and why they form the band in the first place that it's hard to care about their fate. Sure, there a few tantrums along the way, but there is little here in the way of drama. The attempt at some kind of romantic love triangle between the female backing singers and Joey is passed by quicker than they can say "Feck off".

The saving grace is that the cast are marvellously talented musicians and singers. As mercurial lead singer Deco, Brian Gilligan really does have the kind of voice to make you believe it's worth the band coping with his colossal ego. And when given the chance the band do hit all the right notes. Versions of "Mustang Sally", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Knock on Wood" are lung-busting highlights.

Andrew Linnie does a good job with limited source material to bring some depth to the non-singing role of Jimmy. We see his passion for the music come through when working his dead-end job and his desperation to hold it all together. His relationship with his long-suffering father (a well cast Kevin Kennedy) provides most of the laughs.

After the story ends, the final segment is a pseudo concert where the band do their best to leave their mark. Here is where the show belongs: talented musicianship with note-perfect vocals. It's a shame it feels bolted on rather than an organic part of the production. Unfortunately, the blinding lights of this encore are not enough to make you forget what has come before.

The Commitments at Bristol Hippodrome until 25 February

Photo credit: Johan Persson

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