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The smash-hit musical is back, and the party is BIGGER than ever at the Everyman Theatre! We were thrilled to experience the opening performance and have shared our thoughts below…

A Rock of Ages Banner

Musical Theatre is officially back (in black) with a rocking performance from Kevin Clifton and the cast of Rock of Ages. A boisterous, campy, 80s themed jukebox musical that is sure to leave you smiling. 

From director-choreographer Nick Winston, the musical revolves around the meeting and subsequent will-they-wont-they relationship of starry-eyed, small-town girl Sherrie, and young hopeful Drew, who both have big dreams of making it in the glitzy world of Hollywood.

The seedy yet vibrant Hollywood club, The Bourbon Room, acts as the main backdrop for our story. With the colourful cast of characters busily flitting in and out of its dilapidated interior as they try valiantly to keep rock alive and fend off troublesome German real estate developers from tearing the beloved bar down.   

A montage of photographs from the show

Speaking of the cast, there is not a weak link in the chain here. With standout performances from Kevin Clifton as the egomaniac rock star Stacee Jaxx; and Joe Gash as Lonny, our hilarious, fourth-wall-breaking narrator.

And hilarious it is, the performance is peppered with humour throughout and filled to the brim with innuendo and raunchy setups. The script is both rude and crude! But layered with so much cheese and self-aware ribbing you cannot help but giggle. 

As the finale approaches, the various, intertwined stories are neatly pulled together, and everything great about the show comes to a crashing crescendo. With a full cast performance of ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ that had the entire audience on its feet! Not to be missed.

Rock of Ages is taking place at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham until this Saturday, 13th November, with two performances Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are available via the Everyman Theatre box office. 

For more events and live shows in Cheltenham check out our helpful guides - Autumn Events in Cheltenham and Christmas Events in Cheltenham.

Review by Stuart Fieldhouse.

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3 Comments

Comments

  1. Martin, Bristol
    One of the best performances of Rock of Ages that I have seen. (Wed 10th). The above review is accurate- there is not a weak link. And not just the cast- the band, sound, light and production all deserve credit. Great to be back in theatre and this was a great restart. Thanks.
  2. Helen Cheltenham
    Absolutely amazing, what a performance (Friday 12th Nov).
    Haven't enjoyed a night out so much in a long time.
    After the show I came out and asked if there would be any seats available for the next day (sadly no). A huge thank you to all involved, outstanding show thank you
  3. Philip, Bourton
    We saw the show on Wednesday in Cheltenham, and one of the best ensemble performances I've ever seen - the whole cast were great - not a weak link at all, and the narrator was hilarious - especially when him and the Bourbon owner corpsed at one point. Would definitely want to see again - plus this was our first time at the Everyman and felt so safe - will definitely be returning.

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