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Reworking of an icon’s tale
20th Century Boy
Wolverhampton Grand*** MODERN musicals based upon pop stars and
their music continue to find a place on stage, a place determined by a
number of factors; the star quality of the artist; whether they are dead
or not; whether they still tour or not; the extent of their fame and/or
notoriety; and the quality and durability of their music. Some, like Buddy, are a thinly veiled excuse to
trot out some great music, others, like Taboo, about Boy George ,largely
eschew the music in favour of narrative; 20th Century Boy strikes a
middle ground, offering all the hits, but in the context of a narrative
which aims to stand on its own two feet. I had just entered my teens when T Rex swept to
the top of the charts, and there is no doubt that Marc Bolan was a pop
sensation with catchy songs, androgynous good looks, and star quality. When he died, in 1977, he had last enjoyed a top
ten single in 1973, his powers and popularity were on the wane, with
David Bowie snatching his creative mantle, and numerous glam rockers
out-glamming Marcs’ early image. Yet his legendary status endures, with his
supporters claiming both that his work was underrated, and that there
was more to come. Tony Stringfellow has written the definitive
appreciation of Marc Bolan in The Wizard’s Gown- Rewoven, and
makes just such a case. This show is an evolution of the one that opened
in Ipswich some years ago, twenty minutes is trimmed down from the
running time of the original three hours by director and chore The story opens through the eyes of son Rolan (Bailey), who leaves behind his American mother, Northern Soul singer Gloria Jones (Donna Hines), to retrace his father's musical steps in London. The year is 1992, 15 years after Bolan died when a mini driven Gloria crashed into a tree, two weeks before his 30th birthday. Bolan had never learned to drive - fearing a premature death.
Marc's mother Phyllis (Sue Jenkins) has not
spoken to Gloria since then, but she welcomes her grandson, and opens
photo albums as she and Marc's taxi-driver brother Harry (Peter
Manchester) start a journey of rediscovery. The songs are not played in chronological order
but to support he story, most notably when the late career Dreamy
Lady appears at the front end of the show as Bolan seduces June
Child. Bolan’s narcissism and addictions are not
whitewashed, and the show has a light touch too with some good comic
lines. Matthew Ashcroft's leery Mickey Finn, and the punk caricature of
The Damned entertain satisfyingly. The Bolan cogniscenti will be
intrigued by the references to Tony Visconti and John Peel. Sollars as
Bolan gives an unashamed imitation of the star vocally, and in mannerism
and movement. This is no reimagining of him, and he does so convincingly
and faithfully. The hits still sound great and the audience were
dancing in the aisles for a boisterous encore of his greatest hits
complete with podium dancers, which left the audience and cast on a
high. 20th To 05-07-14. 30-06-14 And getting it on at the back **** YOU can actually feel the floor vibrating under
your feet during a sing-along, rock-along finale to this story of the
legendary Marc Bolan and his band, T.Rex. In fact, the last 15 minutes of the musical is
easily the best part of the show, with a large audience joining the cast
in a concert-style blitz that underlined why the glam-rock star was so
popular . . . even though he never lived up to his ambition to be bigger
than Elvis. Warren Sollars is excellent as Bolan, both in his
acting and singing, cleverly building the character from his early days
as a wannabe to the peak of his fame, and the desperate moment when his
wife, June discovers him partying with a bunch she aptly brands a ‘rock
‘n’ roll wreckage. And Lucy Sinclair reveals a fine voice as June,
while Donna Hines is a delight in the role of soul singer Gloria Jones
who has Bolan’s baby during an affair and was driving the car which hit
a tree, killing the star just short of his 30th birthday in 1977. The story opens, rather slowly, with the grown up
son, Rolan Bolan, telling his mum he is off from their home in America
to learn more about his famous dad in the UK. Luke Bailey is an
impressive Rolan, also blessed with a strong voice, and there is a very
good performance, too, from Sue Jenkins, Marc’s mother, Phyllis. Directed and choreographed by Gary Lloyd, 20th
Century Boy rocks on to Saturday night, July 5 Paul Marston http://www.20thcenturyboythemusical.co.uk/
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Gary Lloyd and writer Peter Rowe. The cast is strong with Warren Sollars
(Mamma Mia!, From Here To Eternity) as Marc Bolan and TV stars Sue
Jenkins (Brookside , ”Gloria” in Coronation Street) and Luke Bailey
(Waterloo Road, Casualty).