The Commitments

As the lights dimmed and the curtain rose, the sense of anticipation for a night of classic soul was electric. A packed out Theatre Royal consisted mostly of men and woman in their sixties were thoroughly entertained by what unfolded over the next two hours, with instant transportation to their younger days, as well as a youthful cast, who perfectly depicted their characters of the rough and ready working class of Ireland.

My initial worries about the West End musical were that it wouldn’t capture the grit of working class, politically unstable 1980’s Ireland. This was soon put to bed by the fantastically detailed set including a run down laundrette and VHS store.  I was also concerned about the very fast pace of the film, some scenes only lasting around thirty seconds before cutting to a completely different location - full credit must go the production team who mastered this perfectly with incredibly quick perpetual set changes.

Diverting from the script and the narrative of the movie somewhat, this alternative take worked mostly on its comedic value. My face was aching by the second half due to constant smiling. The comedic element of the production channelled through the star Deco, played masterfully by Brian Gilligan. His singing however was what really stole the show; an effortless delivery with bags of charisma left the audience in raptures, after a spell binding performance of the Marvin Gaye classic I Heard It Through The Grapevine.