Tonight’s The Night – Review

✭✭✭✩✩   Ooh La La

Ben Heathcoate and Michael McKell

Edinburgh Playhouse
Mon 17 – Sat 22 Feb 2014
Review by Paul Johnson

It’s fast and furious fun, featuring one hit after another for the Rod Stewart jukebox musical, Tonight’s the Night, which is at the Playhouse until Saturday.

Yet you can’t help feeling the show lacks content, even by jukebox musical standards.

Think of Maggie May, The Killing of George or You’re In My Heart and it is clear Rod Stewart knows how to write a story in a song. No surprise, then, that his works should be up for the jukebox treatment. Particularly considering the continuing commercial success of a singer whose first solo album came out in 1969 and whose star is as strong as ever.

And so 2003 saw 25 of Stewart’s hits linked together by Ben Elton, who already tasted success within the genre, providing the book for the Queen musical, We Will Rock You. And if you thought that had a weak storyline… this one sure ain’t Faust either.

Well, actually, it is – kind of. Mild-mannered hero Stuart is so shy he can’t profess his love to Mary, the girl of his dreams. Something of a singer-songwriter when he’s not working as a mechanic, Stuart sells his soul to Satan in exchange for the confidence and swagger (and heart and soul) of… you guessed it, Rod Stewart.

Then he goes and leaves Mary behind to live the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle of excess, but eventually realises he’s become a not very nice person, which makes him unhappy. Of course, because of his pact with the devil, he’s stuck with it.

While the Stuart character isn’t a Rod Stewart impersonation, actor Ben Heathcote has a similar bluesy gravely voice which more than does justice to the songs. Unfortunately, what he doesn’t quite have is the presence of a rock star to justify the character’s rise to stardom.

And with every scene moving along at breakneck speed he never gets the opportunity to build sympathy for a character who goes off the rails.

Exceptionally sassy

Jade Ewen as Dee Dee

Jade Ewen who plays Dee Dee, actually is a bona fide rock (or at least pop) star, as a member of the group Sugababes. Her rendition of the nicely reworked What Am I Going To Do? is one of the highlights and it seems a pity her character doesn’t get more to do.

Not that there is any shortage of female talent in this show with Tiffany Graves being exceptionally sassy in her dual roles of Satan and Baby Jane. Playing the latter with a real Southern twang makes her sound very Dolly Parton and it is surprising how many of the songs have been re-imagined with a good ol’ country feel to them. She also delivers the funniest – and rudest – line of the night.

Michael McKell – the ill-fated Dr Nick West in lunchtime soap Doctors – gets all the other funnies and plays them for all they are worth as the suitably-named Stoner. His character is a cross between Rod Stewart’s guitarist sidekick Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards of The Stones.

However, the star performance of the production is Jenna Lee-James who, despite playing Stuart’s cast-aside love interest Mary, never allows her character to become wishy-washy. And what a voice! Powerful with a rock edge, yet retaining quality of tone, she takes it to wonderful places – and then goes beyond even that.

All told, a nice-enough production with a good-looking set and lighting, and a really good cast backed by a tight band. The ensemble might not be called upon to do much but still look the part, although the dancers are woefully under-utilised in some incredibly naff choreography, especially during Sailing and the inevitable megamix ending. And the creative reworkings of Rod’s songs are well enough done to entice those who aren’t fans, too.

And yet, as this speeds by, dialogue pared right back, there is hardly any time between songs. Of course this isn’t Goethe, or anything other than a piece of puff musical theatre, yet even a little more dramatic input would help audiences engage more with the characters.

Oh, and if anyone can work out quite how the story suddenly develops a nautical theme to shoehorn in that song, please leave your theories in the comments box below.

Running time 2 hrs 10 mins
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18 – 22 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA
Run ends Saturday, 22 February 2014.
Daily 7.30pm, matinee Wed, Sat, 2.30pm.
Full details on the Playhouse website: www.atgtickets.com

ENDS

Tags: Ben Elton, Ben Heathcote, Jade Ewen, Jenna Lee-James, Jukebox Musical, Michael McKell, Musicals, Paul Johnson, Playhouse, Review, Rod Stewart, Tiffany Graves, Tonight's The Night