The Stage

Reasons To Be Cheerful

Published Friday 29 October 2010 at 12:24 by Lee Wilkinson

This new production exudes the spirit of the Ian Dury sound, without falling strictly into the realm of the jukebox musical.

A scene from Reasons To Be Cheerful at Theatre Royal Stratford East Photo: Tristram Kenton

The year is 1979, at the onset of Thatcherism, and the storyline follows the misfortunes of two callow youths in their desperation to be present at a Hammersmith Odeon concert by their hero, Ian Dury.

A purposely simplified and untidy stage setting lends itself to scenes of organized chaos, which fits in well with the general mood of the period.

The highly likeable Stephen Lloyd oozes vitality in the role of the rather shy and decent guy Vinnie, while his pal Colin (Stephen Collins) is a fairly belligerent and enthusiastic anarchist. Vinnie’s father (Garry Robson) plays a stoic radical socialist with Karen Spicer as his wife holding the family together in stressful times. Nadia Albina is the vulnerable punkette, while Daniel McGowan flits easily between acting and playing in the band.

Vocals on the dozen or so songs are shared around, but John Kelly sings most of them in a suitably impassioned manner with the well-drilled band driving things along.

Ian Dury was a patron of Graeae Theatre Company, who proudly place disabled actors centre stage, as can be witnessed in this uplifting musical play. The script contains tender, sentimental and amusing moments, which the strong cast handles with equal aplomb, but perhaps it is Dury’s enduring songs and the pulsating performance of them that seems to matter most after all.