Rock of Ages Tour 2021

Rock of Ages is a hilarious and immensely entertaining musical comedy following the efforts to save Rock n Roll club, The Bourbon from threats of closure. The plot centres on the heart-warming love story between country girl Sherrie and wannabe rockstar, Drew.
One of the most impressive elements of Rock of Ages is the musical numbers, performed by a very talented live band. As huge fans of 80’s music, we were delighted to be invited to attend the press night at New Wimbledon theatre. The songs were familiar and included an excellent mash-up of We Built this City and Too Much Time which portrayed the conflict between German father and son developers trying to close The Bourbon and hippie chick Regina attempting to convince the president to stop them. The vocal performances of the cast were amazing, especially Jenny Fitzpatrick as Justice, the Gentleman Club owner and Luke Walsh as Drew. There was a perfectly chosen mix of popular and uplifting 80s Rock songs which created such an electric party atmosphere.
Featuring Strictly Come Dancing star, Kevin Clifton as Stacee Jaxx, the self-centred heart-throb rockstar villain, Rock of Ages provides a satirical commentary on Rock n Roll culture through Joe Gash’s exceptional portrayal of the Russel Brand esque Lonny delivering many of the well timed laugh-out loud innuendos. The jokes were at times a little crude and not a show to take your grandparents or young children to however overall Rock of Ages was extremely funny.
Whilst most certainly not a family show, the excellent choreography and musical performances from all cast members but particularly Rhiannon Chesterman as Sherrie and Gabriella Williams as Regina made Rock of Ages a very memorable experience. The energetic and captivating dance sequences perfectly encapsulated Rock n Roll glamour. The outstanding cast were supported by effective lighting and set design which were very visually impressive.
The end performance of Don’t Stop Believin’ finished the show with a real bang. It ingeniously brought together all the plots with a great song, creating a lasting impact. The audience were standing up, singing and dancing which was an amazing experience and it almost felt like a concert. We left the theatre feeling so uplifted and energised.
I would urge any fan of 80s music to go along to Rock of Ages. The New Wimbledon theatre delivers an uplifting, engaging and immersive show with guaranteed belly laughs and will leave you dancing along to every number.
Review by Cerys & Gabriella Chitty
Rock of Ages is running at New Wimbledon Theatre until the 25th September and will continue its tour around the country until September 2022. To find out more and to book tickets you can visit their website here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Rocky Horror Show, Waitress and Back to The Future.