Review: Sing Street, Lyric Hammersmith

Straight from the big screen, this musical adaptation gets an electrifying UK debut at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Tony award winners Enda Walsh, Rebecca Taichman and Sonya Tayeh bring to life John Carney’s critically acclaimed motion picture, for theatre audiences to devour. This coming-of-age musical, Sing Street will take you back to the new wave era of the 80’s where struggles were big but dreams were bigger.

Conor Laylor (Sheridan Townsley) a 16-year-old from Dublin, is at the mercy of his family’s financial hardship when he ends up tossed into a new school, ‘Sygne Street’, with Brother Baxter (Lloyd Hutchinson) at the helm. With no friends and no plan, he happens upon model-in-the-making Raphina (Grace Collender). In an effort to impress this mysterious girl, he brazenly invites her to be the star of his band’s music video, despite being short of five other band members. The race is on to persuade his new classmates to start a band that will eventually form the titular ‘Sing Street’ (see what they did there!?)

John Carney and Gary Clark’s score is irresistible and it’s hard to believe that these catchy songs were not once real charters in the 80’s. Luke Hall’s video design is the perfect addition to this adaptation, as we get to watch the creation of Sing Street’s music videos projected in real-time. The tracking shots and hedonistic close-ups, alongside Lisa Zinni’s distinctive costume design, are an ode to the likes of Duran Duran and Depeche Mode in their career-defining moments. A nostalgia begins to set in, for the hours spent watching our favourite artists grace Top of The Pops on our TV screens, as alluded to by the 80’s TV sets zooming on and off the stage courtesy of Bob Crowley’s set design.

A deserved mention has to go to Stuart Burt and his on-point casting. This musical would not work without the characters being so sensitively played and Sing Street is a strong ensemble piece with a wealth of talent across the board. Being just a good actor doesn’t cut it anymore when you have these multi-instrumentalist creatives tearing up the stage before our eyes – especially when a few of these actor-musos have barely even left education. Townsley’s rebellious Conor and Collender’s spunky Raphina are the perfect duo to drive the story. They are supported by expertly crafted sub-plots featuring Adam Hunter, as Conor’s older brother Brendan, and Jack James Ryan as the school bully, who both, satisfyingly, also get to have their moments of victory. The earnestness is all too true in the young talent (Harry Curley, Indiana Hawkes, Conor Hogan, Seb Robinson, Matthew Philp and Jesse Nyakudya) which carries through into their characters. It leaves you rooting for the gawky teenagers who are desperate to figure out this messy life and who they want to be in it. Whilst the characters seem to be running away from the past and into the ‘futuristic ideal’ of their aspirations and dreams, we are given a kick of nostalgia in remembering the feeling that anything is possible.

This ‘happy-sad’ musical is a perfect balance of hope and tragedy. Carney’s story puts the personal hardships of each character at the centre, with their conviction to be more than what’s set out for them in working class Dublin. With that as the foundation, Taichman and Walsh have beautifully constructed this world for the stage, where the interwoven personal tragedies are seamlessly laid out. All ending in us sharing the infectious joy of the hopeful teens who, in their own ways, feel like they’ve conquered the world.

Written by: Enda Walsh
Music & Lyrics By: John Carney & Gary Clark
Directed by: Rebecca Taichman
Choreography by: Sonya Tayeh
Casting by: Stuart Burt
Set Design by: Bob Crowley
Lighting Design by: Natasha Katz
Sound Design by: Gareth Owen
Video Design by: Luke Hall
Costume Design by: Lisa Zinni

Sing Street plays at Lyric Hammersmith until Saturday 23 August.