Grab your leather jacket and Dr Martins, Rock of Ages is back and town, and it’s ready to take you on a rockin’ journey back into the theatre with a jukebox of iconic hits that’ll have you singing your heart out.
AD: Press night / gifted tickets
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Starring former Strictly Come Dancing Professional, Kevin Clifton, Rock of Ages kicked off its latest tour at The Alexandra last night (Friday, September 10). Taking the audience back to LA in the heart of the 80s, when people’s dreams were almost as big as the backcombed hair on their heads.
The story follows Sherrie (Rhiannon Chesterman) who leaves her home for the bright lights of Los Angeles to make it as an actress, and Drew (Luke Walsh), who dreams of becoming the world’s greatest rockstar. But when the pair meet on Sunset Strip’s biggest rock bar, their relationship soon turns sour when Clifton’s Stacee Jaxx steps into the picture.
Clifton is no stranger to the show after stepping into the role in 2018, but the question was: would his singing live up to his dancing? The answer, yes. While Clifton’s dancing is limited, his singing voice was a pleasant surprise that hit all the notes. Clifton’s certainly not a one-trick pony, that’s for sure.
The cast as a whole delivered on every level. Leading duo Chesterman and Walsh captured their characters perfectly. Their roles are very vocally demanding, but at no point did they stumble, even when taking on adapted versions of some of the world’s most iconic rock songs. High praise should also go to the supporting cast, who brought plenty of energy to the stage throughout.
Joe Gash stole the show as Lenny, who flirted with the audience throughout, adding that extra element to the show. Cheeky, hilarious and never afraid to push the comedic boundaries, there’s no doubt that he will go down as one of the most memorable actors to take on the role for all the right reasons.
Rock of Ages is an utter fun-filled delight that’s packed with plenty of laugh out loud moments. Its jukebox soundtrack is filled with anthems from Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing to Foreigner’s 84 ballad, I Want To Know What Love Is, that’ll have you singing the whole way home. Mostly, it’s a joy to see the cast back on stage, theatres back open. Welcome back, The Alexandra, I’ve missed you.
For a full list of tour dates or to find out more about Rock of Ages, click here.
