A RAGTAG group of would-be musicians optimistically dubbed the world’s hardest-working band worked their magic on Llandudno theatregoers.
The Commitments blew the roof off Venue Cymru during the opening night of this celebration of soul.
The stage version of the acclaimed 1991 movie, takes the attitude, humour and brazenness of the Alan Parker directed film and gives us more.
Anyone familiar with the movie’s plot will remember it focuses on the fortunes of a group of youngsters from the tough streets of north Dublin, whose dreams of bettering their lives through music sees them receive an education in the works of Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Martha Reeves.
The production opened with a tribute to the legendary singer Tina Turner, who died last week, in the form of an explosive version of Proud Mary.
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This drunken Christmas party singalong serves as a taster of what is to come during this riotous show but crucially introduces us to James Deegan who is simply sensational as Deco who would become The Commitments’ frontman.
His gut-stirring vocals demand to be heard and his blue-eyed soul renditions of standards like Try a Little Tenderness, Pappa Was a Rolling Stone and Mr Pitiful proved out of sight.
The self-appointed soul man is ably supported by three female singers, nick-named The Commitment-ettes, made up of Bernie (Sarah Gardner), Natalie (Eve Kitchingham), and Ciara Mackey (Imelda).
Natalie’s powerhouse vocals on her version of Aretha Franklin’s Think were a delight, while the group’s love interest Imelda demonstrated her hair-splitting nuances in tone and pitch on Chain of Fools while Bernie shone with her jaw-dropping version of River Deep Mountain High.
James Killeen was brilliant as the band's manager, whose belief, guidance and drive insured the group's all, but brief existence proved special.
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He was helped in his musical mission by way of sage advice and putdowns by his hard taskmaster of a father played wonderfully by former Coronation Street legend Terry Duckworth (Nigel Pivaro) seeing his feet were kept firmly on the ground.
While the hugely talented cast wonderfully brought this stage adaptation to life, Stuart Reid as the band’s elder statesman and lothario Joey ‘The Lips’ Fagan, proved an absolute delight.
The whirlwind antics of Mickah Ray, played by the dynamic and little bit frightening Ronnie Yorke, brought many belly laughs and proved a huge hit.
Undoubtedly, though, the star of the show was its timeless soul songbook.
Highlights included a stonking version of the Rolling Stones Satisfaction, a brilliant version of What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, Signed Sealed Delivered, and You Keep Me Hangin On which uses the stage show’s superb set design to great effect to introduce different players and different elements of the Supremes smash-hit.
The last 15 minutes of the show turned into a foot stomping concert which I guarantee will not disappoint and reignite your love soul music.
The Commitments is on at Venue Cymru until Saturday, June 3.
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