It is a rare pleasure to get to review the same production twice but, as American Idiot has returned to the region, I wanted to go back to see if the “wow” factor that had impressed me so much the first time was still there – and it certainly is! The cast are loaded with energy, the songs sound better than ever and it’s so much easier to see the many subtleties in the piece, that may not be obvious when the production is seen for the first time.
Green Day have always been famous for their energetic live shows, and this translates perfectly to the stage in a production that is full throttle from start to finish, with musical numbers coming one after the other in quick succession, very little in the way of dialogue, scenes changing in the blink of an eye and incredibly quick costume changes, all performed by a cast who throw themselves into every scene like their lives are depending on it.
As the album was written as the story of three disillusioned and disaffected boyhood friends with nothing better to do that trash the local corner shop, there is little need for too much narrative. The superb lyrics lead us along the path very well, but the characters of Johnny, Whatsername and St Jimmy provide what little there is in the way of an extended storyline.
Seeking a purpose in life, three young men each choose their own way to escape the suffocating suburbs for the bright lights of the city and each teenager forges their own path. Joshua Dowen’s rock star voiced, muscular, Tunny is seduced by images of military power and national patriotism fed through a TV screen suspended from the ceiling, and he soon enlists in the army. Good guy Will, sensitively portrayed by Samuel Pope, is left at home to deal with his impending fatherhood and the unwashed Johnny (Tom Milner), a swaggering freedom fighter, driven mainly by his heroin addiction, is the character who moves the narrative along.
As Johnny, Tom Milner gives an incredible performance, mostly delivered in little more than his boxer shorts, and it is quite uncomfortable to see his character wooed by St Jimmy, Johnny’s outrageous alter ego (played by X-Factor finalist Luke Friend), who appears like the devil on Johnny’s shoulder, leading him down the path to ruin – but on the other side there is Johnny’s love interest Whatsername, played by musical theatre newcomer and X Factor star Sam Lavery who tries so hard to prevent Johnny’s self destruction.
My only criticism of this, otherwise excellent, performance has nothing to do with those on stage, but has a lot to do with the set design. Playing in a very wide theatre presents sight-line issues, with many on the left of the auditorium unable to see scenes that might assist with understanding the organised chaos that is being presented on stage.
For me, American Idiot is a musical in a class of it’s own. It tells a powerful, modern, story which seems sadly familiar to a lot of the teenagers and twenty-somethings in the audience. It brings to life an album that so many have grown up with and, as the standing ovation proves, brings it to life just perfectly.
**** Four Stars