Review: Licensed to Ill (Southwark Playhouse)

Even if you weren’t into hip hop in the 80s and 90s, you’ll likely still be aware of the Beastie Boys. The US trio burst onto the scene in 1986 with their debut album Licensed to Ill on Def Jam Records and broke down preconceived ideas of what a hip hop artist was. These guys were white, middle class and Jewish. And they rocked.

A company of four – Adam El Hagar, Simon Maeder, Daniel Foxsmith and Tope Mikun – stage this short, sweet, funny homage to the three musicians – Mike D (Mike Diamond), MCA (Adam Yauch) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz). It essentially tells the story of one of the most successful hip hop groups of all time – a band who pushed hip-hop into the mainstream and infused it with strains of punk (they originally started as a punk band). It runs from their early beginnings in New York to their ferocious attempts to hold on to their artistic integrity in the face of big music labels, to their uber success, to the death of Yauch, in 2012, at the age of 47 from cancer.

It’s a labour of love from El Hagar, Maeder, Foxsmith and Mikun – the moments where they rap Beastie Boys’ tracks including "Sabotage" and "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" are pitch perfect. These performers clearly haven’t just learnt the words, they know the lines, moves and rhythms inside out. Licensed to Ill is an expression of fandom.

It’s a scruffy, heartfelt tribute performed well with El Hagar, Maeder and Foxsmith as the Beasties and Mikun playing all the other characters, with the help of a puppet or two. Mikun portrays one of their managers as a big hairy Oscar the Grouch-type muppet. It’s a nice left-field touch.

If you love a bit of the Beastie Boys then Licensed to Ill is great. But if you were never really into the group, and didn’t know much about them in the first place, the piece is not the best place to start. The company jumps skips and hip-hops through their story and though there are some hilarious moments of physical storytelling, it’s not the easiest thing to keep up with.

But what there is, is the spirit of the Beastie Boys running through the piece, with all their wit, anarchy and energy. At its best, Licensed to Ill is a scrappy bundle of hilarity with some excellent beats thrown in.

Licensed to Ill runs at Southwark Playhouse until 24 December.