Reasons to be cheerful…1.2.3.. Lucy Meredith reviews Graeae Theatre Company’s celebration of the infectious music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads…
1. Getting to see the wonderful Graeae again (I saw their production of The Threepenny Opera last time they were in Leeds.)
2. The revolution is alive and kicking! It was great to see a group of young people perform their own protest song in response to the show…Snowflakes can become Avalanches…
3. Hearing some skilfully performed Ian Dury and the Blockheads tunes.
To be honest it’s a big task to make a piece of theatre inspired by the music of a particular artist as often the storyline feels tacked on just as a vehicle to showcase the songs, and to a degree there is no getting away from that…I have seen more than a few of those types of musicals.
But what I liked about this production was the honesty of it. From the word go there was no attempt to create a fourth wall – yes, you’re in a theatre watching a play within a play, and the characters are introduced as characters in a story. There were lots of funny moments, such as when the character Dave was introduced it was announced that when he was wearing his prosthetic arm he was Dave, when he wasn’t he was playing a different character.
For those not familiar with Graeae, the company champions the inclusion of D/deaf and disabled performers in their work and also makes productions accessible for disabled and non-disabled audiences. The performance included signers and the dialogue was show on screen for those who can’t read sign language.
I enjoyed the fact the signers are actually characters in the show rather than separate entities. In fact, one of the joyful things about this production was the cast worked as an ensemble, and seemed like family. There was a wonderful energy and connection between them and I am as always in awe of multi-talented performers who can not only act, but can dance and play instruments too. Especially Louis who played 2 Saxophones’ at the same time, not a bad feat to say the least!
It was clear that the team behind and onstage were vastly invested in the show and reading the close relationship the company had with Ian Dury made the connection even more clear and powerful. The messages in Dury’s songs are still as relevant as they were back then and although the production was really fun and lively there was still a serious commentary on the state of the country and the treatment of people with disabilities/disabled rights.
Highlights for me were the songs, which were delivered with great energy by the cast and the fantastic John Kelly on lead vocals who was perfect for performing in the style of Dury. ‘Spasticus Autisticus’, ‘Blockhead’ and of course ‘Hit me with your Rhythm stick’ being the standouts for me.
Other high points were Dave in his tight trousers with his accentuated bulge and the hilarious Kung Fu fight scene in the style of a Bruce Lee film. When Dave’s arm falls off mid fight it highlighted the company’s determination to embrace rather than ignore the fact that the performers have disabilities and that it wasn’t an elephant in the room. I enjoyed this (literally!) disarming use of humour when dealing with issues and it worked really well.
Overall this was a really enjoyable and lively show with an energetic cast which looking round the theatre certainly transferred their dynamism into the audience and it definitely made me want to learn more about Ian Dury. Great show I hope to see more work by Graeae in the future.
Reasons to be Cheerful is on at the West Yorkshire Playhouse until 14 Oct.