Buzzy New Musical
“In schemes behind boarded up windows, Irish boys raised on Guinness and glue, sit round watching re-runs of the bridges they’ve burned, nursing dreams that’ll never come true. Outside.”
Lyric from Outside sung by Brendan
This musical was due to open on Broadway when Covid closed all the theatres. Barbara Broccoli has sponsored its return to London with five new songs written by John Carney and Gary Clark. It is on at the Lyric Hammersmith for a month but sure to be looking for a deserving transfer to the West End.
What is refreshing is that instead of a juke box musical with 1980s music, these songs are original and brilliantly played and sung by a cast who could be a 1980s boy band. The night I saw I could feel the excitement in the auditorium for the audience being some of the first to see this show.
The basis is the 2016 musical comedy film about an Irish family living in Dublin by John Carney and Simon Carmody. Enda Walsh has now written the book for this musical. Robert Lalor (Lochlann ÓMearáin) is a failing architect in 1980s Dublin and has to move his younger son Conor (Sheridan Townsley) from a private fee paying school to the free Catholic Synge Street School run by the sadistic headmaster Brother Baxter (Lloyd Hutchinson).
This musical is peopled by the dysfunctional, some of whom find an outlet in music, in the school based band formed by Conor and his classmates. The origin of the band comes when Conor meets Raphina (Grace Collender) an aspiring model and offers to film her in a video to promote his band which doesn’t yet exist. Of course he doesn’t tell Raphina this, but sets about making it come true. Raphina has a history of sexual abuse and is quite damaged.
Conor’s elder brother Brendan (Adam Hunter) withdrew from college and has become socially withdrawn, maybe agoraphobic, and doesn’t go out but he composes music with Conor. Brendan and Conor have a sister Anne (Tateyana Arutura) who is studying to be an architect because of her father’s ambition for her. Conor’s mother Penny (Lucianne McEvoy) is having an affair with her boss and their marriage is on the rocks. Conor copes with the constant arguing from his parents by writing music.
At the school Conor meets Darren (Cameron Hogan) who has the business acumen to manage the band. The skinhead school bully, Barry (Jack James Ryan), apart from the egregious Brother Baxter, terrifies and Eamon (Jesse Nyakudya) has a violent home life. Set in a depressed area of inner city Dublin, many of its youth are looking for a future elsewhere and music may be the answer. In the 1980s Dublin is depressed before the tech boom of Silicon Docks in the 2000s.
Some of this cast are performing in their first professional show and their enthusiasm is infectious. Peter Gordeno is responsible for the orchestrations and arrangements, along with Gary Clark, and Gordeno has a vast cv of working with famous 1980s bands.
The music is outstanding and the voice of Adam Hunter as Brendan I found really moving as his songs tend to reflect the isolation and emotion of his life. Sheridan Townsley is the star of the boy band and his voice is thrilling. Grace Collender as Raphina too delivers strong vocals as she hangs around the telephone box. There is good guitar work and the band’s sound is compelling soft rock. In the second act they have found their own sound and the musical numbers follow fast, one after another giving the show a gig feel.
This the second time I have been impressed by Rebecca Taichman’s direction. The first occasion was Indecent at the Cholate Factory in 2021. There is good sound work from Gareth Owen and striking lighting from Natasha Katz. Sonia Tayeh’s choreography is mostly boy band moves but fitting.
Let us hope that Sing Street can find a new home with prices that do not put off a new generation of theatre goers who deserve this treat of a show.
Musical Numbers
Everything Stops for the Top of the Pops
The Riddle of the Model
Up
Beautiful Disguise
Outside
A Beautiful Sea
Dream For You
Shine
Drive It Like You Stole It
Brown Shoes
Girls
To Find You
Go Now
Production Notes
Sing Street
Book by Enda Walsh
Music and Lyrics by John Carney and Gary Clark
Directed by Rebecca Taichman
Cast
Starring:
Adam Hunter
Jenny Fitzpatrick
Lloyd Hutchinson
Lucianne Mcevoy
Jack James Ryan
Harry Curley
Sheridan Townsley
Grace Collender
Cameron Hogan
Jesse Nyakudya
Tateyana Arutura
Indiana Hawkes
Lochlann ÓMearáin
Matthew Philp
Seb Robinson
Creatives
Director: Rebecca Taichman
Set Designer: Bob Crowley
Costume Designer: Lisa Zinni
Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh
Musical Supervisor, Orchestrations and Arranger:
Peter Gordeno
Orchestrations: Gary Clark
Musical Director: Nick J Barstow
Lighting Designer: Natasha Katz
Sound Designer: Gareth Owen
Nevin Steinberg
Video/projection designer:
Luke Halls
Fights and Intimacy: Dani Mac
Information
Running Time: Two hours 30 minutes with an interval
Booking until 23rd August 2024
Theatre:
Lyric Theatre
King Street
Hammersmith
London W6 0QL
Box Office: 020 8741 6850
Website: lyric.co.uk
Tube: Hammersmith
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge at the Lyric Hammersmith
at performance on 21st July 2025
