Theatre Reviews

Quadrophenia
Sadler’s Wells
24th June – 13th July
The Lowry, Salford
15th – 19th July

In 1973, guitar smashing rock genius Pete Townshend wrote QUADROPHENIA. Recorded by The Who – it quickly became an iconic and multi-million selling album. Quadrophenia defined a generation and in 1979 inspired the cult classic feature film of the same name.

Now it’s back – this time as an explosive dance production – Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet with a large cast of exceptional dancers, introducing new audiences to troubled mod Jimmy’s story while remaining true in spirit to the much-loved original.

Review by Richard Lambert, 5 Stars

Well this is a treat! Every single department top of their game! Where do you start?

Probably the best place to start is with the Choreography. Paul Roberts has created an entire production of intricate staging that combines, solo, pair, triple, quads and every combination of dancers you could conceive. With stylish movements always conveying the emotion of the action while staying within the musical nuances.

The costumes are incredible – how they don’t rip at the seams defies logic. They look authentic but must be capable of stretch in just the right places.

The Set Design plays with the illusion of perspective. Parallel top borders cut non-horizontally create an illusion of depth that doesn’t exist. Multiple flown screens at a slight angle from square then appear to have greater 3D than they really do. Add in the large trucks for the train and the cafe diner, along with office chairs, tables, a bed, desks, home TV and within all this is a huge forever changing landscape for the stories to be told.

The videos map and play on the rear screen in addition to the flown screens and truly change the look and feel of the stage. Especially remarkable when this show is headed to tour – next stop the Lowry, Salford. I hope that venue has automated flying to cope with the amazing fly sequences for the set which lifts and lowers multiple bars simultaneously.

A rather lovely touch was the side booms supporting some moving lights. They were also flown enabling the side lights to be shin-dusters, text book side dancers’ lights, or raised up to be pipe-ends drawing patterns in the haze.

It’s rare to see a show with so many technical elements done quite so perfectly that mesh together this well. Nothing over-whelmed, it all just had the wow factor! Looking at the production shots gives a flavour of the production.

This is the best large scale show to date this year!!! You should not miss it!

Photo credit: Johan Persson