I have to admit that when I was invited to the
opening night of American Idiot at the Edinburgh Playhouse on Tuesday evening I
didn’t know what to expect. I asked a couple of friends who merely shook their
heads and petted their lips. Eventually someone told me the show was based on
the music of American pop-punk band Green Day. Grateful for the info, I was
still none the wiser. Yet, it was an enjoyable evening even though there wasn’t
a huge crowd at the Playhouse.
Green Day first came to prominence in the 1980s formed in 1986 by lead vocalist and
guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirn. It’s a level of my
ignorance that I discovered Green Day have sold more than 85 million records
worldwide and have won five Grammy Awards. Their 2004 album American Idiot was
labelled a punk rock opera and depicts modern American life in the aftermath of
traumatic events such as the attacks on New York and Washington in September
2001 and the Gulf War. As the title suggests this is the basis of the theatre
production.
The
show starts with a bang and rarely lets up as you might expect from a punkish
band. It’s difficult to label a particular genre on American Idiot but a
starting point might be The Clash meets James Taylor meets Trainspotting meets
Friends. If that sounds fanciful then head to the Playhouse and see for
yourself.
The
first act is just 50 minutes and comes to something of an abrupt end. However,
the start of act two has a very powerful scene where leading man Johnny –
played by Tom Milner, perhaps best known for being in BBC Television’s Waterloo
Road – dabbles with strong drugs. It’s a scene which is unusual for a musical –
it’s played in complete silence which adds to its powerful poignancy. It’s
reminiscent of the ground-breaking film Trainspotting – there’s even a filthy
toilet in the corner of the stage.
Some
of the music certainly appealed to this ageing punk and this was mixed by more
gentile numbers and the scene where Milner strums his guitar in a drug-infused
stupor declaring his love for his girlfriend is very moving.
It
wouldn’t be a musical without hope, however, and the emotionally charged number
When September Ends towards the end of the show demonstrates the characters
belief that there can be better days ahead.
Kudos to a brilliant production and a passionate
and energetic cast as well as the superb band situated at the top of the stage.
American Idiot is on
at the Edinburgh Playhouse until Saturday 9th February 2019
No comments:
Post a Comment