Last month the production had is Irish Premiere in Dublin, where Roddy Doyle’s story of The Commitments was born, and is now touring across the UK, currently booking until 13 May 2017.
The UK tour of The Commitments stars Coronation Street legend Kevin Kennedy as Jimmy’s Da, Brian Gilligan as Deco, Andrew Linnie as Jimmy Rabbitte and Amy Penston, Leah Pentson and Christina Tedders as The Commitmentettes, they perform alongside Peter Mooney (Derek), Padraig Dooney (Dean), Sam Fordham (Mickah) and John Currivan (Billy), Rhys Whitfield (James), Alex McMorran (Joey), and Christian James (Outspan).
The Commitments tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young working class music fan, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians into an amazing live act, the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced. The show follows the journey of two members of a frustrated synthesiser band – the opening scene has them playing, but ignored, in a shop window – who turn to Jimmy, the local music expert, for help.
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Placing a classified advert in a music paper, Jimmy auditions a number of wannabes before finalising the new line up who he names The Commitments. The humour kicks in as the band get to know each other and their instruments, and proceed through early rehearsals for their first gig. Just as they improve and begin to get a name for themselves they combust. The backing singers are all getting off with the middle aged horn playing legend, the singer has entered Eurovision, the drummer has walked out mid-gig and the saxophone player has dangerous leanings towards a jazz career.
The show has been adapted for the stage by Booker Prize-winning author Roddy Doyle, from his original novel. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, The Commitments is packed with more than 20 classic soul songs performed live on stage including: Night Train, Try A Little Tenderness, River Deep, Mountain High, In The Midnight Hour, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Save Me, Mustang Sally, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Reach Out, Uptight, Knock On Wood, I Can’t Turn You Loose and more!
Watch my interview with Brian Gilligan from 2015 when he played the role of Deco in the West End production of The Commitments
The Commitments Tour Dates
14 – 19 November 2016
Stoke Regent Theatre
21 – 26 November
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
28 Nov – 3 December
Norwich Theatre Royal
5 – 10 December
Leeds Grand Theatre
12 – 30 December
Glasgow Theatre Royal
9 – 14 January 2017
Oxford New Theatre
16 – 21 January
Liverpool Empire
23 – 28 January
Belfast Opera House
31 Jan – 4 February
Southampton Mayflower
6 – 11 February
Newcastle Theatre Royal
13 – 18 February
York Grand Opera House
20 – 25 February
Bristol Hippodrome
27 Feb – 5 March
Edinburgh Playhouse
7 – 11 March
Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre
13 – 18 March
Birmingham Alexandra Theatre
20 – 25 March
Canterbury Marlow Theatre
27 March – 8 April
Manchester Palace Theatre
10 – 15 April
Cardiff Millennium
17 – 22 April
Woking New Victoria Theatre
24 – 29 April
Plymouth Theatre Royal
1 – 6 May
Southend Cliffs Pavilion
8 – 13 May
Bradford Alhambra Theatre
Photos: Johan Persson
