Roddy Doyle’s Commitments musical confirms 8 Oct opening, tickets on sale

The show, which has been more than two years in the making, has been adapted from the novel by Booker prize-winning author Doyle himself and will be directed by Jamie Lloyd.The Commitments tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young working class music fan, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians and friends into the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced. 
Roddy Doyle said: “I’m extremely excited by this, which is great because I’m nearly 55 and I feel a bit giddy about it. I hadn’t planned to write it myself but then I did and I really enjoyed it. After meeting a number of impressive writers I told my wife ‘I’m thinking I might have a bash at the script myself’ and she said ‘You took your time’.”The creative team is completed by designer Soutra Gilmour, choreographer An Yee, music supervisor Alan Williams, lighting designer Jon Clark and sound designer Rory Madden.
Speaking at the official press launch, director Jamie Lloyd told Whatsonstage.com he has no fears about premiering the show directly in the West End. “We’ve got to be as ballsy as the characters in the original novel,” he said. “I love the idea of opening a show that has no stars in it, all of whom actually play their instruments, and introducing it direct to a West End audience.”
The cast is comprised mostly of Irish actors, several of whom were sourced following opening auditions held in Dublin last month. Lloyd said: “They’re incredibly young and many of them have never been in a play before – some of them have never seen a play before. I’m hoping that’ll give the show a raw energy that will prove kind of addictive.”
Comparing the show to Once, which runs at the nearby Phoenix Theatre, he joked that The Commitments would be the “sweatier, scrappier younger brother down the street”.
Currently at the Palace, Singin’ in the Rain concludes on 8 June 2013 and is followed by a limited summer season of Derren Brown’s Infamous from 24 June to 17 August 2013.