The Young Ones

Synopsis

Set in 1961, The Young Ones is the story of a group of teenagers fighting to save their local youth club from imminent demolition at the hands of property tycoon, Hamilton Black. They decide to raise money and awareness of their plight by putting on a variety show, promising that a mystery singer will top the bill. But who is this heart-throb hipster who will whip the local teenagers into a frenzy and help raise enough cash to save the day? What is his connection to the property tycoon? All will be revealed with much song and dance.

Our Review:

Anne Morley-Priestman - 30 August 2011

Fifty years is a long period in the passage of cultural time. The teenagers in the original Cliff Richards’ vehicle seem light years away from those depicted in today’s media. Very sensibly, director Matt Devitt and designer Rodney Ford have elected to treat their stage production as a thorough-going period piece.

Donna Berlin’s choreography helps this enormously. Those circular-skirted, pre-A line dresses with their ruched petticoats are made for twirling and swirling; the girls of the cast do a lot of that. Our clean-cut hero is Nicky, son of a property developer – but this chip from the family building block has a social conscience. Mark Stanford makes him entirely credible, and sings well to boot.

The heroine is Toni, played by company newcomer Fiona Finsbury. You can believe in her heartache when Nicky is apparently vamped by chanteuse Dorinda (Wendy Paver) and she puts over “No one fo...

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Latest User Review

Stevie - 15 September 2011:

The first preview and came introduced ('South Pacific' style) by director Matt Devitt. Hopefully this is not a permanent trend to make upfront excuses for what is about to begin, although Mr Devitt was rather more humorous than at the Barbican recently. His cute banter could have kept us amused all night, perhaps he started life as a TV warm-up artist or Redcoat. A few minutes in and I felt it was all a bit amdram but then I convinced myself that the director and cast had cleverly portrayed the innocence and naivety of the early sixties, rather than putting a mod' PC spin on the movie. However, when Hamilton Black (Simon Jessop) shows his disgust for coffee drinking youth an opportunity was missed to make a contemporary reference to the torching of retail stores: the 99.9% adult, grey and white (sadly) audience would have liked that. Queen's Hornchurch is home to 'Cut To The Chase', an all singing, dancing and instrument playing troupe so they are stretched at times; but like it or not, multi-skilling is now power for the cause in entertainment. I did feel I was at a mass audition for 'Chess' but Revel-Horwood was nowhere to be seen. The 'video' screens in the wings are, in the main, superfluous and my pet hate unless authentic and essential - don't pretend to be multimedia. The show doesn't attract a wide demographic, just local Essex oldies like me re-living youth, surely a few grandchildren could have been dragged along to this family show? I'm off again tonight with my six zone travel card to almost the end of the District Line; pleasantly surprised that Hornchurch isn't beyond the pale but inside the M25. Queen's is fifteen minutes walk from the tube, buses and taxis are to hand. The show will get slicker; book now whilst a few seats remain. A word of thanks for bringing one of the Cliff Richard trilogy to stage, perhaps 'Summer Holiday' and 'Wonderful Life' will be next. [nota bene: even better at second preview 27th Aug., compared to West End it's a bargain at around £20 and prog's at only £2.50. Mr. Devitt assured me he only presents the previews]....

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