BWW Reviews: THREE MINUTE HEROES, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, October 20 2014

If you are a fan of ska music, there is much to like about the Belgrade Theatre's production of Three Minute Heroes. Dubbed as the 2 Tone Musical, the production follows fictional characters trying to make it in the music industry. With the band consisting of a diverse group of young people, 2 Tone was the appropriate record company that they were trying to win over. There was also an ongoing racist battle during 1979-1981 when the show is set. Coventry decided to put on a benefit in 1981 to pay tribute to a Sikh man who was killed in the city as part of the racist protests and that really was when the ska music family came together to make a difference.

Showcasing home-grown Coventry bands such as The Selector and The Specials, the music is incredibly popular with its style and heavy instrumental. The drummer in Three Minute Heroes is actually an original member of The Selector, Aitch Bembridge, and was warmly appreciated during the medley at the end of the performance. There are a lot of references and pictorial acknowledgments of Coventry in the late 1970s which go down very well with the local audience. Director Bob Eaton, former Artistic Director of the Belgrade, has evidently done his research into the era. I would not necessarily class the show as a 'musical' but rather a play with incidental music. The story itself is not the strongest element of the production but the essence of time did come across very well.

The show is staged on the Belgrade's B2 stage in thrust with the band raised on a higher platform upstage centre. Sometimes the action seemed more directed to the sides rather than the seating front-on which is interesting as this usually happens the other way round. The main playing space doubles up as a dance floor at the end of the performance which is put to good use. There are stairs either side of the band platform which are reminiscent of a high-rise or run down housing site. Patrick Connellan's design is very competent and serves the purpose well.

Chris Ellis' lighting design was a little disappointing. I understand that atmospheric lighting is needed at times but there were many occasions when cast members were not lit sufficiently. Martyn Davies' sound design is good; it's just some of the live mixing that occasionally meant the vocals were barely heard over the instrumental.

The cast are very energetic consistently and greatly capture the ska culture. Most of the performers all play instruments and on the whole, their strengths are more so in this area. Excellent musicianship in particular comes from Joey Hickman who plays trombone and keyboard - he definitely caught my attention throughout.

Three Minute Heroes plays at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry until 25 October 2014.