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Pros: Theatre and live music gig for the price of one!
Cons: The show is on tour with only short stops, so you’ll have to be quick off the mark to see it!
A heart-warming, foot-tapping, head-banging show that is energetic, loud and tremendous fun.Summary
Rating
Excellent
The members of a fledgling band face big questions as they wrestle to find a name, a style and a fashion that might make them the next Green Day or One Direction. Chris (Chris Foley, who is also the show’s Musical Director), Charlie (Charlie Raine), Andrew (Andrew Bleakley) and Meghan (Alex Tahnée) all love different bands, but they’re united by their passion for music. In between songs by the four’s favourite bands, we see snippets of their lives: of Charlie’s strict Catholic parents shocked at finding her at home, dancing and singing to Madonna; of Chris’ love for Green Day; of the mix tape which started off Andrew and Meghan’s relationship. It brings back memories of the joy when standing right at the front of the stage during a rock concert, of the teenage apprehension of creating a playlist for a friend, and of the shame of not knowing how to answer the question “what kind of music are you into?”.
It doesn’t go any deeper than that, but it doesn’t matter: It really is about the music and the brilliant performance by four very talented cast members. It’s very funny, too – like when Charlie decided to be an (unsuccessful) emo and got sore jaws from all the frowning, accompanied by a swift but emotional dive into Evanescence’s Bring Me to Life. Those were the days.
Fans is now on tour, coming next to Theatre N16 in London (7 and 8 November) and then to The Peacock in Sunderland (16 November). It’s certainly worth the trip!
Author: Nina Berry
Director: Melanie Rashbrooke
Musical Director: by Chris Foley
Booking Until: This show has now ended its run at Canada Water Theatre and is touring
