Tateyana Arutura, Sheridan Townsley and Adam Hunter - Sing Street, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre - Manuel Harlan (c)Irish playwright Enda Walsh and American director Rebecca Taichman have conjured an adaptation which remains true to the original movie’s central themes of youthful naivety and rebelliousness, which is told through the music and lyrics of Gary Clark (composed in collaboration with Carney - thereby reassembling much of the creative team which delivered Once) and performed by a cast of 15 energised performer-musicians.
In common with the rest of Ireland, Penny and Robert (Lucianne McEvoy and Lochlann Ó Mearáin) feel the economic bite of recession. One of their cost-cutting measures is to remove their son Conor (Sheridan Townsley) from a fee-paying school and enrol him at Synge Street Catholic Boys School, where he encounters misfit bully Barry (Jack James Ryan) and struggles to acclimatise to the intimidating regime overseen by Brother Baxter (Lloyd Hutchinson). One afternoon after school, he meets wannabe model Raphina (Grace Collender) who frequently hovers at a nearby telephone box and he attempts to impress her by suggesting she appear in the music video he and his manager Darren (Cameron Hogan) will be shooting for his (non-existent) band’s next release. Thereafter he leans on his agoraphobic elder brother Brendan’s (Adam Hunter) romantic and songwriting advice and hurriedly assembles a group of variously talented schoolmates who cobble together a series of uplifting and bouncy pop tunes, whilst experimenting with their individual and collective image. It’s all harmless, vacuous fun, delivered with oodles of playful teenage learning and angst, with occasional nods to more serious underlying personal and macro economic issues.
Given the squeals of juvenile delight at the first onstage kiss, it’s a pretty sure fire bet that the production is aimed squarely at the lower end of the theatregoing age spectrum, but whilst the songs are playfully bubblegum, not even the most earnest of them matches the depth found in Once and the show eventually settles on the equivalent of a Westlife soft pop format where each member of Sing Street is instantly accomplished and gels seamlessly with zero egos, or indeed rehearsal. Such is the just add theatre magic and stir formula of this flat-packed, pre-packaged but wholly enjoyable piece of fluff.
Additional cast members: Anne (Tateyana Arutura), Larry (Harry Curley), Sandra (Jenny Fitzpatrick), Gary (Indiana Hawkes), Eamon (Jesse Nyakudya), Declan (Matthew Philp), and Kevin (Seb Robinson).
SING STREET has a running time of 2hours 30mins (including interval) and continues at the Lyric Hammersmith until 23rd August.
