Green Day’s American Idiot

This is a full throttled, gutsy presentation of a punk rock musical which leaves little to the imagination.

PACA productions pack a punch, featuring a hot thrashing band, passionate credible performances, and tight choreography from the ensemble, surrounded by a dynamic set piece.

Theatre goers who bought tickets were warned that this is most definitely an adults only show. There are several energetic depictions of sex (fully clothed) and drug taking (smoked and injected). This slightly taken aback reviewer did not receive the warning, and there was no announcement or warning sign as you entered the theatre, which is customary these days.

However, the largely young crowd in the audience appeared to be lapping up the gritty production, looked entertained during the horizontal wrestling scenes and a middle-aged couple sitting next to me told me there was nothing unexpected on the stage.

The musical draws themes from Green Day’s American Idiot album – with this production acting as a teaser for the band’s tour to Australia next year.

It follows the story of three friends Johnny (who gets into an intense relationship), Will (who is challenged by an unplanned pregnancy) and Tunny (who joins the army) in the fictional American deadbeat locality of Jingletown.

It is set in a post 9/11 world under the Presidency of George W Bush.  A weakness of the book is that the central characters are all male with one of the women (Whatshername) not even having a proper name (but that is what the original song was called). 

The  shoe-horning of the these stories into the music of Green Day gives a general understanding of the narrative and works better in some places than others. There about three or four memorable tunes in the musical. My favourites were “American Idiot”, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Good Riddance”. Overall, this is a genuine rock musical. If you like punk, then this will rock your boat.

Isaac Koorey – a member of a local rock band and a self-confessed Green Day fan – was charismatic in the lead role of Johnny.  Cameron Mayhew energetically depicted the angst of his character Will, whilst Nathaniel Lawson effectively portrayed the sad trajectory of Tunny.

Izzy Tilden (Whatshername) exuded confidence and pride, whilst Rachel Bendeich milked the drama of her role as young mother.

The backdrop of the stage was an effective mixture of metal frames and video screens allowing for simple set changes by rolling on a bed or a couch as the drama required.

The co-directors Rodrigo Medina Noel and William Pulley, and choreographers Janina Hamerlok and Daniella Giles have put together a strong production which nicely fills out the intimate Zenith Theatre.

David Spicer