[Ad-gifted] ROCK OF AGES rocked its way into Crewe Lyceum Theatre last night and what an opening night it was!
ROCK OF AGES began on Broadway in 2009 and after receiving five Tony Award nominations made its way to West End in 2011. It was such a success that it was later turned into a film featuring Tom Cruise and Russell Brand. This hilarious show has since become iconic and has returned to Cheshire to do its Final Countdown farewell tour. Expect non-stop classic anthems, big hair and loud music and be taken on a nostalgic trip back to the 80s.
The show is set in the mid-to-late 80s in LA’s Sunset Strip, where dreams come true. The story line focuses on Sherrie Christian (played by Gabriella Williams), a small-town girl who has just moved to LA looking to be an actress and Drew, a city boy (played by Sam Turrell) trying to make it as a rock star. Their relationship gets complicated with the introduction of Arsenal Ban’s Front Man, Rock Star Stacee Jaxx (played by Cameron Sharp).
There is also a secondary story where German Businessman Herts and his son Franz Klinwemann (played by Vas Constanti and David Breeds) plan to buy out parts of the city with the help of the Mayor (played by Adam Strong). Their aim is to demolish places such as The Bourbon Room, owned by Denis Dupree played by Corrie legend Kevin Kennedy, to make LA a rock-free zone.
What will become of LA’s Sunset Strip?
What did I think of ROCK OF AGES?
ROCK OF AGES was such a nostalgic show, churning out non-stop high-energy hits one after another with the crowd singing to it. It was loud and filled with fist pumping actions and sexy moves.
The cast were multi-talented from being able to belt out songs, to dancing in unison effortlessly. Gabriella Williams who played Sherrie has such a vulnerability in her voice and it shows when she sings the slow numbers. Sam Turrell played his character Drew so well and his singing voice is equally commendable.
I found Cameron’s portrayal of Stacee Jaxx very entertaining while the stars of the show has to be both David Breeds who plays Franz Klinemann as well as Stephanie Chandos who plays Regina. The chemistry between them was exceptional and their quirky and lovable persona just brings joy to the crowd. Jenny Firzpatrick who played Justice Charlier was absolutely stunning and voice was even more magnificent!
Special mention goes to the Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell which was superbly done and created the mood and feeling that we were in a concert. The Set and Costume Design by Morgan Largeset was stunning and it was lovely to see the stage transformed effortlessly done in each stage scene. The crowd loved narrator Lonny (played by Tim Oxbrow), his flamboyance and sexy style got them excited every time he came on stage. His also brought some sort of calmness and quietness to the loud production.
The band was exceptional, the talented musicians made up of Elliot Mason, Steve Hynes, Liam Stevenson and Alex Ward did justice to all the songs they performed. It was surprising to see the band performing the songs spectacularly well despite it originally performed by big named bands such as Bon Jovi, Foreigner and Whitesnake. It was also a pleasure to watch the extremely talented ensemble crew. Their dynamic dance moves were performed to perfection, thanks to the Choreography by Rhys West.
ROCK OF AGES was entertaining, funny and such a crowd-pleaser. It was wonderful to hear rock classics such as We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Wanted Dead or Alive as well as Here I Go Again being belted out. I had a fantastic night out and so did the crowd as they all gave a standing ovation at the end. So, if you want to rock the night away and have a great party night out then head to Crewe Lyceum Theatre before the show ends for the final time.
Cast Details
Kevin Kennedy – Dennis Dupree
Gabriella Williams – Sherrie Christian
Sam Turrell – Drew
Tim Oxbrow – Narrator Lonny
Cameron Sharp – Stacee Jaxx
Jenny Firzpatrick – Justice Charlier
Vas Constanti – Herts Klinwemann
David Breeds – Franz Klinemann
Stephanie Chandos – Regina
Adam Strong – Mayor/JA’Keith
Erin Bell – Constance, Dance Captain
Scott Hayward – Ensemble
Darius James – Ensemble
Reece Duncan – Ensemble
Phoebe Samuel-Gray – Ensemble
Tianna Sealy-Jewiss – Ensemble
Janine Somcio – Ensemble
Musicians – Liam Stevenson (Guitar), Alex Ward (Guitar), Elliot Mason (Bass) and Steve Hynes (Drums)
Creative Details
Rhys West – Resident Director & Choreographer
Director and Choreographer – Nick Winston
Set and Costume design – Morgan Large
Lighting Design – Ben Cracknell
Sound Design – Ben Harrison
Video and Projection design – Duncan McLean
Casting Director – Jim Arnold CDG
Associate Director – Victoria Gimby
Associate Choreographer – Ryan-Lee Seager
Associate Lighting Designer – Chris Vaughan
Costume Supervision – Lee Tassie
Production Management – Phil McCandlish
How much do the tickets cost?
Tickets are priced from £19.50 to £43.
Under 26s: £25 (Top two prices only)
Members Get More: 2 for 1 on Opening Night
A £3.65 transaction fee may apply to your order.
How do I book tickets to watch ROCK OF AGES?
Tickets can be booked by calling the box office at 0343 310 0050 or by visiting Crewe Lyceum’s website here. This production is suitable for ages 5+
How long is the show for and what are the timings?
The show will run until Saturday, 13 May 2023. Show times vary from 2.30pm, 5pm, 7.30 or 8pm. Please see Crewe Lyceum Theatre’s website for full details.
Where is Crewe Lyceum Theatre?
About Crewe Lyceum
The Crewe Lyceum is Cheshire’s historic Edwardian theatre and a Trafalgar Entertainment venue. Established in 1911, the theatre has been thrilling and delighting audiences with the best of drama, comedy, variety and more for over a century – and counting. Every year more than 23,000 theatregoers attend the annual Crewe Lyceum pantomime, and audiences shouldn’t wait to secure their seats for Cheshire’s favourite family pantomime.
You may want to read this:
Review: Tom Gates Live On Stage! at the Crewe Lyceum Theatre
Review: Tom Seals – The 45s Tour at Crewe Lyceum Theatre
Review: Peter Pan the High-Flying Pantomime Adventure at Crewe Lyceum
Photo credit: Crewe Lyceum Theatre/©The Other Richard
* We were provided with press tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.
20 comments
I would love to see them perform Rock of Ages. I grew up in the 80s, so this is one of my all-time favorite musicals. It sounds like they did a great job.
You would have loved all the songs they sang Beth
This is one of the best musicals out there of any time period. I just love the energy of this one, and they really did a great job with lighting and costumes, too. I’ve seen it several times.
How wonderful! Worth watching it a few times
The way you described the performances, the music, and the overall experience really got me pumped up. Can’t wait to catch the show and rock out!
So glad to hear that
I loved the film and would love to see the stage show, there is nothing like the lights and live performance. Definitely one I want to go and see
Hope you get the chance
I’d loved to watch this! I’ve been a long-time fan, but never had a chance to watch in person. Love all their performances.
So glad to hear that, hope you do get the chance
This is soooooo cool!!!! I would love to watch it in person, I am a huge fan!!! I hope they come to my city.
Hope you do, they are touring
I would love to watch this. Live performances are cool.
I agree, such a good show indeed
The show was amazing as was the casting. It was a fun vibrant experience which captured the audience with the nostalgia of the 80’s era. I had the best time I felt like a teenager again I highly recommend watching it ❤
It brought back so much memories for me too Angel, glad you had a fab time
It does really look like a high energy performance! Those images are stunning, I would love to check out this play.
It certainly was, hope you do
It looks like an amazing show to watch. Looks like they performed really very well. I would love to watch this show too
Yes the cast was just wonderful and super talented