Review: ROCKSTAR, King's Head Theatre

Jack and Billy are so close to having their big break. When their agent advises them to add a female singer to the mix to muddle the optics of their band, stardom finally knocks on their door. Between creative differences and personal tensions, they have to figure out their priorities in an age that’s seeing more and more celebrities being outed, “shipped” together, or labelled arbitrarily. This production feels like the first hobbling steps of a high-energy musical with ambitious dreams and huge SMASH-season-two vibes. Olly Medlicott’s vision is crystal clear, but this iteration looks and sounds more like the workshop of an early draft than a final version. It lacks punch and falls short in atmosphere at this stage, but it can gain it, doubtlessly.

The score is loosely inspired by the rock genre’s biggest artists from The Killers to Queen, but it’s a far cry from what it could be. With a sound that’s more interesting than its lyrics, the lack of live musicians and set dressing alongside generally moot vocal performances fail to build tension. Charlie Purbrook and Emily Sawtell are unconvincing as the front-facing couple. Jack is a leather-jacket-and-sunglasses songwriter who’s supposed to be torn between his blatant attraction to Mara and his artistic allegiance and long-term relationship with Will Mugford’s Billy, but he gives neither. Sawtell, a few inches above everybody else vocally, is the recruit who’s giving the group a hetero-normative look.

Their backhandedly homophobic hot-shot manager Alistair keeps pushing their commercial direction, and, as their identity is as muddled as this piece is from their very start, decides their ultimate downfall. Portrayed by Medlicott himself, he is the strongest presence. He commands the space just as he does the members of his cash-cow band. Perhaps due to experience or other ephemeral reasons, the younger cast seem to become smaller in his shadow and dwindle away when confronted with the harsh reality of the business.

Mugford plays a composer who’s initially reluctant to sing in public, but ultimately has the superior songs in the track list. A sweet personality, he brings an air of reasoned resolution to the inter-band complications and commercial demands. Direction-wise, there’s a lot of exiting the stage and then re-entering on the other side to imply a change of location, but that’s as far as Medlicott goes. His script might as well be a radio play at this moment in its development. With a neck-breaking pace that sees the plot unfold relentlessly without as much as an explanation or look at the collateral elements of their rise to fame, it focuses very little on the characters themselves.

We never get to see this supposed social media presence of theirs, or the adoring fans and intruding paparazzi that later on make their life difficult. Their position in the industry is expected to be taken at face value. This might obviously be due to budget restrictions and the size of this iteration of the project, but the text doesn’t ease the issue. Momentous events like Jack’s overdose or Alistair’s unrequited attention to Mara are only mentioned in passing, as is the frenzy that surrounds them.

Ultimately, the show only needs further work. A stronger book, more insight into the psychology of the characters and the complex world that surrounds them, as well as a bigger budget might lead them to stardom. It’s easy to see its potential to become a well-crafted cool-kids musical.

Rockstar runs at the King's Head Theatre until 15 July.

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