The cast of Quadrophenia at Sadler's Wells. Photo Johan Persson.It’s the early 1960s and the south coast of England has been invaded by rival gangs of Mods and Rockers. The police are helpless to control the combatants as they give full vent to their juvenile, pent-up, post-war aggression and desire to be noticed. Divided along style and music lines, they confront one another, while their parents who fought for freedom and lost colleagues and loved ones just a decade before, look on in bewilderment at a country which is largely unrecognisable and dominated by a youth culture which has seemingly lost all sense of duty and respect.
Pete Townshend’s 1973 work which acted as a catalyst for 60s rockers The Who to find themselves again, has been reworked into a play, a film, an opera and now a ballet. And who’s to say that this isn’t the best iteration? It’s unquestionably one of the more dynamic and exciting, benefiting from Rob Ashford’s direction, costumes by Paul Smith, set design from Christopher Oram and orchestrations by Rachel Fuller and Martin Batchelar.
We open with a young man Jimmy Cooper (Paris Fitzpatrick) on a rock, as viewed from above with the help of YeastCulture’s video projections of a swirling sea. He appears angst-ridden and disconnected, but is soon joined by another sharply besuited youth, and another, until eventually 5 young men stand upon the monolith swaying as waves, caressing, crashing and swirling in unison. I Am The Sea is not only visually arresting but serves as a prelude of much artistry to come.
At a psychiatrist’s office Jimmy’s jittery friend The Lunatic (Dylan Jones) loses his cool. Meanwhile at home, his Mother (Kate Tydman) and demobbed heavy-drinking Father (Stuart Neal) struggle with intimacy and appear resigned to sitting slumped in front of their 14” black and white telly, watching Steptoe and Son. One afternoon Jimmy meets his childhood Friend (Euan Garrett) at a park. He is now a rocker, and they josh, goad and playfully relive their earlier lives in the pas de deux Cut My Hair. Evocative of youthful innocence and attraction, it proves one of choreographer Paul Roberts’ several highlights. More complex in its staging, with concealed entrances and exits, Is It In My Head is set within an Edward Hopper-esque diner. After the interval and following an almighty blow-up at home, Jimmy journeys to Brighton aboard a train in 5.15pm with the entire company crammed into three commuter carriages, requiring deft close proximity work and precision timing.
Whilst Covent Garden stagnates (or maybe it doesn’t - who knows given the current elitist Royal Ballet PR team, which seems hell-bent on excluding and ignoring reviewers they deem unworthy of a press ticket), Sadler’s Wells has grown and blossomed. It is now unquestionably the preeminent dance provider to the capital with multiple houses and consistently dazzling programmes of interesting, engaging and exciting work. QUADROPHENIA serves as a reminder that the arts thrives best through reinvention, creation, and by maintaining a continuously fresh and dynamic outlook.
The remaining company members include: Curtis Angus, Dan Baines, Jonathon Luke Baker, Matthew Ball (as The Godfather), Will Bozier, Anya Ferdinand, Zack Guest, Amaris Gillies, Seirian Griffiths, Georges Hann, Serena McCall, Joshua Nkemdilim, Alice O’Brien, Zach Parkin, Yasset Roldan, Pam Pam Sapchartanan, Jack Widdowson and Taela Yeomans-Brown.
Running time: 2 hours 10 mins, including a 20 min interval. QUADROPHENIA continues at Sadler’s Wells until 13 July.
