AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: American Idiot - The Plaza, Northwich.

A day of firsts for me, and a truly delightful experience too. My first time in Northwich - an historic town in central Cheshire with a surprising old centre full of timber-framed buildings and Victorian splendour; my first time at the Plaza Theatre - a delighfully retro 1920s cinema building still retaining much of the original architecture both inside and out; and my first time with both the musical and the society for this evening's show!

The show, 'American Idiot' is a jukebox musical in which the music of US punk rock band Green Day is given a skeletal storyline to showcase the music of the band in a very theatrical way. I had heard of the band, I'd even heard of the musical, and this evening's production of the show was just incredible. With astounding and hugely professional production values, and an extremely talented and dedicated cast, I feel sure that Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company have set the bar extremely high if I should ever happen to see this musical again. I do have concerns about the show, but they are with Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer, the creators of the musical, not with the performance I witnessed this evening. These concerns are twofold. First, the show isn't really a musical, not even a rock opera in the accepted sense; instead, it felt much more like a punk rock concert, and it would not have been out of place if the audience had stood up and bopped and head-banged along to the music screaming and shouting throughout. Thankfully they didn't, but it felt as though they ought to have been doing. And secondly, and much more importantly, the skeletal and almost non-existent storyline is extremely difficult to follow, and is not signalled enough throughout the show. Thank goodness the society printed a short synopsis in their programme - without it I, and other people I chatted to in the interval, would have been completely lost!

The programme (which wins the award for the largest and glossiest programme ever... the size and shape of a record album cover) was my first inkling that this society's production would be something a little special. An extended stage consisting of metal rostra and platforms with a bank of TV screens above [used very effectively throughout], and the band underneath the rear platform (save two guitarists who stood on the high platform at either side... looking every bit the punk rock backing band) was my second indication. And once the cast entered and started to sing, I simply knew I was watching an absolutely first rate quality performance. The mostly young cast had the look and feel of the show right from the start... punk rock clothing, hair styles, tattooes, and plenty of attitude! But it wasn't just that.. it was their command of the stage and their stage presence which was magnetic. And they all proved to have mightily strong rock voices too. I loved the choral singing and the harmonies created. 

The trio of male protagonists, living in a dead-end town somewhere in America, who up-sticks and travel to NYC to try and find fame and fortune, one assumes, are reflections of the three band members of Green Day themselves - and so, is this story at least in part, autobiographical?  In this evening's production these three young men were played by Blair Smith (Johnny), Jack Perry (Tunny), and Scott Heath (Will). Despite the musical not really giving them any dialogue or tangible connection between them, other than that they were set up as being friends at the start, there was a lovely natural connection between them, which, when they were reunited at the end actually managed to bring a lump to my throat. Superbly measured performances from all three. Michael Schnek played St. Jimmy and Ric Gauld was Favourite Son. I am still trying to process just exactly who / what / how they fit in to the story - or indeed, whether or not they were 'imaginary' or 'hallucinatory' characters. What was clear however was the fact that both gave their absolute all to their respective roles - Schnek's rasping malevolence contrasting beautifully with Gauld's meticulous all-American style. 

Each of the three band members gets a girl, and it is through these girls that their lives change and they drift apart... but it is also through them that they do eventually find themselves back together again. These female roles are pivotal, not just in the story but in the dynamics of the whole show. Verity May as Whatsername, Georgia Brooksbank as Extraordinary Girl, and Amelia Lambert as Heather all brought these differing dynamics to the show with seeming ease: a sex-craved would-be druggie who dragged Johnny down; a caring and loving angel who helped Tunny through his war injuries selflessly, and a small-town hick teenager pregnant and draining Will's creativity, individuality and lifestyle. All had a powerful role to play and performed them with aplomb and elan. 

The show as a whole shows the struggles and disillusionment faced by the younger generations, both coming to terms with life in the US after 9/11, [cleverly prefaced on the screens at the start of the show], and their varying attitudes towards their country, their politics and the opportunities open to them. Quite timely really, as I believe the UK to be in a similar juxtaposition at the moment.. however here is not the forum for that particular discussion!

Backed by a very strong ensemble, sensible and effective direction (even using an understage passage and the auditorium on several occasions), and a band which sounded so good it could easily have been pro backing tracks, it was extremely difficult to find any fault at all with this show. I did have one concern however, and that was the lighting. On a personal level I felt that sometimes the lighting used did not fully reflect the mood or the lyrics; but more importantly than that, on a technical level, sometimes I noticed that principals were singing in semi or even total darkness. Was this because they had failed to find their mark, or was the lighting cue wrong? Either way, it is something which can easily be rectified for future performances.

I did not know the music of Green Day prior to this, and although it has not made me a fan, I must acknowledge their talent as songwriters, and say that I did enjoy both "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" greatly; both as songs in their own right, and as they were performed this evening.

An incredibly powerful, no-punches-pulled production of a show which - due to the content and themes won't be everyone's cup of tea, and therefore a brave choice of show for an amateur society - was performed by an extremely talented and committed team. The standing ovation at the end of the show was truly deserved. As I wrote at the beginning, this was my first time seeing a production by this society (Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company) - I sincerely hope it won't be my last!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 10/3/22