CityLife

Dreamboats and Petticoats (On Tour)

Dreamboats And Petticoats

Dreamboats And Petticoats
Opera House
February 22, 2010

Despite a corny story with predictable twists and outcomes and despite the fact that it’s yet another musical stitched together from past hits, Dreamboats And Petticoats proves to be a show that’s difficult not to like.

Though nominated for Best New Musical at next month’s Olivier Awards, it has divided the London critics into those who love and hate it, while audiences are packing in and dancing in the aisles.

Probably the very first musical to be based around CD albums, the show was prompted by a couple of million-selling compilations of pop songs from the late 50s and early 60s. Forty-plus of these songs have been selected and a story woven around them.

Set in an Essex church youth club, it’s a tale, of course, of teenage love – of acne, specs, tooth braces, Wagon Wheels, Tizer and quiffs. The teenagers involved argue, fall in and out of love and try to become pop stars.

Hero Bobby (Josh Capper) longs desperately for Sue (Carolynne Good), who is more interested in quiff-and-sideburns Norman (Jonathan Bremner). Sweet little Laura (Daniella Bowen), meanwhile, carries a torch for Bobby and there are no surprises when she finally… well, let’s not anticipate, you never know.

It’s a weak story but there are occasional quite sharp and witty lines and there’s a high nostalgia content for those who are unfortunate enough to be old enough to feel nostalgic about milkshakes and Wimpey bars.

Above all there’s the music, all pre-Beatles and featuring such Hit Parade successes as, of course, Bobby’s Girl, Shakin’ All Over, Da Do Ron Ron, It’s My Party, Let’s Twist Again, Only The Lonely, Do You Wanna Dance and so on, as the back catalogues of Phil Spector, Roy Orbison, Chubby Checker, Neil Sedaka, Herb Alpert and many others are mercilessly plundered.

The cast and band – none probably old enough to have been even a twinkle in anyone’s eye when this music first erupted  – punch the score across with style and charm.

The second half is a little over-extended but everything is eventually - and inevitably for this sort of show - thrown at the finale, when C’mon Everybody and At The Hop simply demand the audience gets to its feet.

Opera House, Quay Street, Manchester. Until February 27, 2010. Evenings 7.30, mats Thur/Sat 2.30. Tickets £11.50-£31. Box office 0844 847 2275.