It is not easy to pick and agree on a show with visitors who are musically far more trained than oneself – but luckily, this summer I had two visitors from Hamburg who were crazy enough to try out London‘s relatively new theatre roulette, apparently a successful concept from New York where a show is chosen for you on a date and budget you pick. We know at what evening the three of us want to go out together, and so in August, I buy three tickets for that very day for a set price. We opt for the musical-only option, and from a vast array of currently running Theatreland productions we are allowed to exclude up to five – we agree to cut out Wicked, The Book Of Mormon, The Choir Of Man and Crazy For You, all for various reasons. However, in my confirmation email I then learn that the allocated three tickets will only be assigned to a show on the morning of the Monday we have reserved the tickets for: Two months to wonder what we will see that evening in London, two months to celebrate how great it is to have international visitors coming crazy enough to try this way of planning a theatre night out, two months to bore people with how exciting this is!
In the end I learn already via text message on the Friday before that we will see the tribute show Jersey Boys, the band biography of the Four Seasons, an American combo from the 1960s of which we recall some songs when searching them but not a single member, let alone anecdotes or scandals. Bonus for me, it’s a first visit to the Trafalgar Theatre and hey presto, tickets in row zero – usually the B ticket category one just in front of the stage, so just before the first row. The Trafalgar Theatre has a couple of retro art deco features and plenty of Broadway fonts in black and silver, a modern rather than a classic West End glam theatre, nodding to its favourite eras. But we quickly realise we are in row O (the letter, not the number), with the sound desk behind us. One does see well here nevertheless.
Once used to the rough New Jersey tone the production actually warns cheekily about on their website, we learn about the toughness on the US’ East coast city, which values count there and which not, how crime pays for some and not for others. This is not another band story about the funky swinging sixties, nor the beat or sexual revolution, but four young men caring for their tidy appearances with the shared aspiration to perform their setlist in the casinos of Atlantic City: Vaseline-groomed styles, in-synch finger-clicking and petty crimes rather than flower power and Martin Luther King Jr. in the summer of love.
Unfortunately, the lack of chronical benchmarks makes it difficult to place any historic context on the musical and its era; it takes far too long until some screening of Ed Sullivan‘s legendary TV show at least gives some orientation timewise – by then, the first half is almost over. No explanation given either about who the Four Season fans are, where they are mainly based and why they were enabling the band’s success, let alone what else they cared about in life. Fans stay mainly represented through the celebration of record sale numbers.
During the interval we agree that the neon lights projected to display a change of scenery can nowadays been achieved in every school production. We also agree that that’s a real stinger because the voices are absolutely beyond amateur production level and do deserve this West End stage. But we also realise that none of us have connected with any of the characters, that we do care more about this show getting up to speed rather than about the well-being and destinies of its protagonists. And that’s a shame because the charismatic cast, especially self-taught performer Luke Suri who plays the Four Season’s lead singer Frankie Valli, gives everything – and his is not an easy role to sing by any means. What else do we learn? Yes, the music industry is a tough business. Yes, there is a Ringo in every band. Yes, you should not rely on promises made by handshakes decades ago when you want to earn royalties. And yes, be available for your children, even as a working parent, also when in the performing arts. But there is something far too tame about this production which plays far too many safe cards, even for a feel-good jukebox musical. The only challenging thing tonight has been the amount of tobacco consumed on stage. Clearly the best part of tonight: It’s amazing to have friends willing to try out risky things like London’s theatre roulette!
*** out of 5 stars
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, directed by Des McAnuff.
Jersey Boys is booking until 4 January 2024.
Through the Theatre Roulette scheme, we paid £25 per ticket, having opted for the standard ticket. Should we play London’s Theatre Roulette again, any show already seen through this ticket lottery will automatically be excluded.
Sadie takes the Stage 