Jersey Boys

Suddenly songs such as “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, Walk Like A Man” and many others have a different depth to them after watching this very good production of Jersey Boys. This is the complex story of one of the best known and successful bands of the 1960s from their rise from obscurity to fame and fortune and of falls from those heights. After many name changes and failures, things changed when teenager Frankie Castelluccio joined the group and was trained by one of the band. He changed his name to Frankie Valli and they changed theirs to Four Seasons after a bowling alley they were playing at. One could never say they were as pure as the driven snow, with jail time, debts to collectors and disputes between themselves, but this made for an excellent night at the theatre.

Director Thomas Armstrong-Robley, who also plays Tommy DeVito, has brought a polished production to the stage using his world wide experience with the characters and the music. Matthew Leigh as Bob Guidio and Jeremy Clark as Bob Gaudio were equally good when joined with Alexander Thanasoulis as an outstanding Frankie Valli. Not only did they sing and move so well but each character told the story of the group from each personal perspective. Congratulations to the four leads for such a great night.

The remaining cast members were good, from the singing dancing girl band and their performance of “My Boyfriend’s Back” to the various supporting roles. There were a couple of minor tech glitches but they were hardly noticeable. With the musicians behind the singers on stage, the clarity was amazing. A total polished  production that was a pleasure to see and hear. Redcliffe Musical Theatre has certainly lifted their standard to a very high level. See it! Don’t miss this musical!

William Davies

Photographer: Ben McShea