Dreamboats And Petticoats

Playhouse Theatre, London
***** (Five Stars) Review By Fiona Lister

Ambassador Theatre Group’s Dreamboats And Petticoats is set in the early sixties, somewhere in Essex, during a time when taking your bubblegum-chewing date to a Wimpy bar was considered special. The cinema was known as ‘the flicks’ and the contraceptive pill had just gone on sale in Britain; if your primped aftershave coated grease monkey ordered fries with your milkshake, then he was after more than just a snog behind the deep fat fryer.

1961 was certainly a busy era: Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister; Britain applied to join the Common Market; the largest Ban The Bomb demonstration took place (of that era); the first pay on answer payphones emerged and the government granted £1 million towards the establishing of the National Theatre – to name a few events. Jaguar E-Types and Morris Minors were the cars to drive and what’s more you could park them outside any restaurant or theatre without a greedy traffic warden leaving a nasty note under your windscreen wipers. Pop art and ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ were the talking point at parties and Carnaby Street and Mary Quant were the trendy words on the lips of fashionistas. Funkadelic liberation came into force and everyone was dancing like International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers.

Teddy boys, girls sporting ponytails and smiling like Doris Day, quiffs, candyfloss and bumper cars are causing a mass party at London’s Playhouse Theatre. Dreamboats and Petticoats is for anyone who wants to shimmy and twist in the aisles to live music. This is a show for pure, innocent partygoers who possess a lot of mojo. I joined the soirée one very hot day in July and returned a week later with a group of friends for a celebration. I have no doubt that I’ll go again.

Directed by Bob Tomson and with a script by award-winning comedy writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, this jukebox musical overflows with witty one-liners and strong characterisation. Better known for their long-running television shows such as Birds of a Feather, Goodnight Sweetheart and the brilliant comedy hit The New Statesman starring Rik Mayall, I wondered how two wonderful writers could have collaborated on a script based on music from the early Sixties. Would this just be too cheesy or resemble a clumsy attempt at following in the footsteps of Grease, which is now on tour after a hugely successful London run? My fears proved unfounded. Their brief was to write a script that would link together well-known spectacular hits such as: Good Timin’; The Wanderer; Sweet Nothin’s; Runaround Sue and Poetry in Motion. I could understand setting about writing a script to include a few songs, but to write a play based on a string of these catchy numbers would surely have been tricky. However, these two kings of scriptwriting set about producing a simple, innocent story about a group of youngsters from St. Mungo’s Youth Club who fall in love and dream of becoming musical stars. Marks & Gran have drawn upon their own experiences of growing up in that era. Essentially, the script is just a way to link some of the greatest hits of rock ‘n’ roll together – it’s an excuse to play these well loved songs to a modern audience. The music is full of joie de vivre and the idea of writing a story about young college and school sweethearts just adds to the innocence of the day. It’s froth, but entertaining froth nonetheless.

The scenery is truly inspiring and includes a funfair equipped with bumper cars and twinkling fairylights. Set Designer Sean Cavanagh has pulled out all the stops to make this show as glitzy as possible. There’s a great touch in once scene when Elvis look-alikes with angels wings saunter onto the stage during a musical number – a sense of the surreal is always welcome.

What first appears as being similar to a high school musical turns into a hilarious story of angst-ridden lovers and the story explores their insecurities, hopes and dreams.

Bradley Clarkson plays Norman, a cool lothario who fancies his chances with vampish Sue (played by Emma Stephens). Norman is forever primping and preening himself and adores his quiff. However, Norman's ambition to write an award-winning song takes over his soul, but he’s not finding it easy. Clarkson charms the audience with his bad boy James Dean image. Right from the opening of this production he sings songs such as The Wanderer, Good Timin and Shakin’ All Over in true Elvis/Shakin’ Stevens style. Since graduating from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Bradley has appeared in a number of varied roles in successful theatre productions, including playing Dick in Dick Whittington (Buxton Opera House and Greenwich), Sebastian in Twelfth Night (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds and tour) and Jack in Puss in Boots (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), to name a few. Bradley has just finished filming a short film A Couple of Clowns (NFTS).

Emma Stephens (‘Runaround Sue’) plays Norman’s calculating dolly bird who frets about how to ensnare her man. Emma shines as the dappy blonde who uses her feminine wiles to get the boy. Ms Stephens is not new to jukebox musicals; her theatre credits include playing both Sandy and Marty in Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Jessica Ellerby plays Donna, Sue’s best friend. Dreamboats and Petticoats marks Jessica’s West End debut and she gives an incredibly animated performance, belting out musical numbers such as Bobby’s Girl. Jessica trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and her television credits include appearances in Eastenders (BBC) and The Bill (ITV).

The star of this show is lovestruck Laura played by Megan Jones who is frantic to hold the attention of her heart’s desire, Bobby. However, Sue will do anything to make Norman jealous, resorting to a brief romance with the delightfully enchanted, gullible lad Bobby. Megan trained at Sylvia Young Theatre School and her television credits include roles such as: Juanita in Learners (BBC); Jasmine in Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Regulars (BBC); Law of the Playground (Channel 4) and Workhouse Girl in Oliver! (BBC). Just like Jessica Ellerby, Dreamboats and Petticoats marks her West End debut. Together with Bobby (Alexis Gerred), they sing the key song in the show ‘Dreamboats and Petticoats’, as well as linking most of the main musical numbers together. Everyone loves Laura’s rendition of the Marty Wilde/Dion and The Belmonts classic hit Teenager In Love.

Alexis Gerred (Bobby) graduated from Kent and Surrey Academy of Performing Arts. Similar to Megan Jones and Jessica Ellerby, Dreamboats and Petticoats is his first West End show. Alexis is a budding songwriter and is currently collaborating with singer/songwriter Beverley Skeete on a project. Alexis is fantastic as the boy next door who discovers women for the first time, stumbling blindly into a romance with Sue before ending up falling hopelessly in love with Laura. Similarly, AJ Dean who plays Ray, a wide-eyed college boy filled with ambitions for the future gives a stellar performance. AJ’s strong vocals are truly awesome, which is not surprising considering his dedicated musical career since graduating from St Mary’s University in 2007. AJ has appeared in Dreamboats and Petticoats since its inception and has toured with the show. He has recently been busy working with Ray Cooney on a brand new project Stop Dreamin', a musical based on the two ‘Rockney’ rockers ‘Chas ‘n’ Dave.

It’s great to see actor Jimmy Johnston (Phil/Older Bobby) in this show. Jimmy has a string of West End roles to his credit, including having played the plum part of Thénardier in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre). Jimmy’s version of Shop Around is the best!

Under the skilful watch of Musical Supervisor Keith Strachan, saxophonists Bethany Compson-Bradford and Jessica Dyas dance in some very energetic, meticulously choreographed numbers and still have enough puff to blow into their brass. The rest of the music is played by: Patrick Burbridge; Alan Howell; Kristopher Hudson; Tim Jackson; Michael Kantola; Mike Lloyd and Michael Paver (all brilliant).

Like all good sixties music, the choreography is very smooth. Whether the cast are shing-a-linging, shing-a-ling-a-looing, jivin’ around or twisting, choreographer Carole Todd has made some tricky dance moves look easy, but I wouldn’t try these at home unless you have a strong glass of Pinot Grigio to hand.

There’s a feeling of optimism which sweeps through the audience and everyone claps and dances. Yes, this show is a commercial box office smash, but its secret to success lies in featuring music from a golden era that represented heart and soul. Nothing beats live music of this calibre and more importantly, reasonably priced seats so the whole family can join in the fun. Let’s face it, Londoners and visitors to our city need more value for money in the midst of financial hardship and greedy bureaucrats conning us with Olympic ticket sales. Producers Bill Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield have created a musical extravaganza. It’s also a great way of showcasing songs that we shouldn’t forget – the lyrics are very powerful and the hit songs from the early godfathers of rock ‘n’ roll, such as those by Jimmy Jones, Johnny Tillotson, Elvis Presley, Dion and the Belmonts, Neil Sedaka and Bill Haley and His Comets, Roy Orbison, The Shadows, Eddie Cochran and Billy Fury are injecting a welcome love vibe into our theatres. This is not the only rock ‘n’ roll smash hit showing in London right now and I’m sure that more of these musicals will follow.

London is resurrecting a heady era and everyone is swept away by the romance. They are sophisticated songs that you will remember and find yourself humming on the trains and buses. It’s an era you yearn for during such austere times in the Capital. I wondered how an even younger generation would view these songs and wasn’t surprised to see so many teenage faces in the audience – they had even dressed in sixties skirts and were joining in the spirit of the show. “I wish we had lived then mum,” I heard one of them say. However, the audience was a complete mixture of young and old, some of whom had lived through that era in their salad days. They were reliving their youth.

After the interval, most of the audience were either swaying in their seats, clapping or dancing in the aisles. It’s a fantastic buzz; each night as the curtain rises, audiences are transported back in time to soak up the excitement and imagine what it must have been like to experience these new sounds for the first time.

The end of the show becomes a mass party with the cast twisting and Da Do Ron Ronning. Cue audience, who jump to their feet in a mega celebration of this golden era of rock ‘n’ roll.

Whatever you do, don’t miss Dreamboats and Petticoats. C’mon everybody, pull on your bobby socks (the ones with motifs of poodles on them) and get yourselves down to the hop!

http://www.dreamboatsandpetticoats.com/

Tickets can be purchased directly through the Ambassadors TheatreGroup: http://www.ambassadortickets.com/1344/673/London/Playhouse-Theatre/Dreamboats-and-Petticoats-Tickets