Review: The Commitments is a fun, feelgood celebration of Soul, brother

It’s a tough gig paying homage to an iconic, award-winning film and book, but happily The Commitments, which opened at Peterborough New Theatre last night, smashes it.

To be honest, it matters not if you haven’t seen the film (where have you been for the last 30 years?) this is a glorious jukebox musical that entertains from the opening refrains of Proud Mary at a drunken Christmas party to the curtains closing.

It is the simple tale of Jimmy Rabbitte (an assured James Killeen), a young down on his luck Dubliner with his heart set on putting a band together – the “Saviours of Soul” – The Commitments.

It’s a show packed with humour, the banter between the band and their backing singers The Commitmentettes, is terrific, and the “audition” scene – an endless trail of hopeless wannabes at Jimmy’s door - is an absolute joy.

Deco stripping out of his scruffs front of stage is hilarious, and Ronnie Yorke’s comically aggressive bouncer Mickah catches the eye.

Somehow from a bunch of misfits Jimmy creates his “hardest working band in the world” – and inevitably, the band implodes – but in between the audience is treated to something very special

And what you go away with swirling around your head is the unforgettable soundtrack – and we are talking more than 20 all-time great, timeless Soul classics – from the likes of Marvin Gave, Stevie Wonder, Four Tops, Supremes, Otis Redding, James Brown…..

It’s an incredible who’s who of Soul legends.

To that end you are going to need something quite special on stage to do justice to that lot.

The music is tight, the lighting and staging excellent, but step forward and take a bow Ben Morris. Wow, what a voice as obnoxious, drunken slob Deco. A powerhouse performance.

It’s a fun, feelgood celebration of everything Soul. And the finale is just awesome.

See The Commitments at New Theatre until Saturday, May 20. Tickets at www.newtheatre-peterborough.com