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| Johnny (Newton Faulkner, right) goes to war with his alter-ego, St. Jimmy (Lucas Rush, left), photo courtesy of Darren Bell |
The red carpet was rolled out
for the press performance of Green Day’s American
Idiot last night. As of July 8th, the musical has returned to
the Arts Theatre in London for a limited run until September 25th. It
officially hit Broadway in 2010 and made its London debut in 2015, which was
followed by a UK tour in 2016.
If making Green Day’s 2004
album of the same name into a theatre sensation seems like the most un-punk rock thing to do for a band that
is unequivocally punk rock, think again. American
Idiot was actually constructed as a punk rock opera by its head honchos: lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong,
bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool.
Therefore, taking it to the stage where it could be enacted in all of its dramatic
glory actually made complete and utter sense. Even though it’s just as much of
an audience pleaser as West Ends old-timers, it has very much taken on a life
of its own as the cool kid on the block.
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| Boys will be boys...Johnny with his friends Tunny (Alexis Gerred, top) and Will (Steve Rushton, right), photo courtesy of Darren Bell |
The songs are anthems devised
for a post-9/11 America, which was encompassed in a bubble of conspiracy theories,
confusion, and terror. During this dark political landscape, it was hard to
know who to follow or believe in. Green Day introduced a new leader and
potential savior with a character called Jesus of Suburbia. Newton Faulkner,
the double platinum-selling artist, joins American
Idiot as Johnny, this crusader of modern times. The singer is known for his
folk rock music and easily identifiable by his raspy, gravely voice (and his
ginger dreadlocks). Incidentally, he’s a dream to listen to, even when he’s
singing about rebellion and broken dreams. He’s also pretty funny.
The musical follows Johnny and
his friends Tunny (Alexis Gerred) and Will (Steve Rushton) as they all embark
on different paths of discovery. While Johnny and Tunny escape from suburbia to
the big city, Will has obligations that keep him at home; namely, his pregnant
girlfriend Heather (Emma Housley). It isn’t long before Tunny abandons Johnny
and joins the military, while Johnny becomes drunk in love with Whatsername (a moniker
taken from the song title and played by Amelia Lily, who finished third on The X Factor in 2011) and intoxicated by
other, more dangerous, substances.
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| Whatsername (Amelia Lily, left) shows Johnny the meaning of "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" with Extraordinary Girl's (Alice Stokoe, far left) support, photo courtesy of Darren Bell |
This is all spurred on by St.
Jimmy (Lucas Rush), his Mohawk-sporting, cockily strutting, track-marked alter
ego – “the patron saint of the denial, with an angel face and a taste for
suicidal.” I can’t take my eyes off of Rush in the role, with his band jacket, smudged eyeliner, and swagger – a conductor of Johnny’s ill fate as he hands him the pill, the
needle, the gun. Armstrong played St. Jimmy on Broadway for several
performances. Now wouldn’t that have been a sight to behold? I’d say we had the
next best thing with Rush though, with his high-energy performance and bad boy charisma.
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| St. Jimmy (Lucas Rush), that "son of a gun," photo courtesy of Darren Bell |
“American Idiot” is the perfect
head-banging opening song after being subjected to television channels that
flick between clips of former president George W. Bush and images of the World
Trade Center bombing. This is a thinking musical, tinged with some tongue-in-cheek
references, which is all down to Armstrong’s powerful lyrics. As cheerleaders
parade around with a pom-pom in one hand and a bomb in the other while seducing
Tunny, it implores us to not be so easily seduced by ideas perpetuated in the
media. The message comes through loud
and clear – for Americans and Brits alike.
Although it
samples mainly from American Idiot’s
track list, the musical also
incorporates songs from Green Day’s 2009 album, 21st Century Breakdown, with songs such as “21 Guns,” “Know Your Enemy,” and “Before the
Lobotomy.” “When It’s Time” is an unreleased ballad by Green Day that Johnny
gently sings to Whatsername while she’s sleeping, strumming away on his
acoustic guitar. His silver metal stud bracelet catches the light and the disparity
hits me. We’re given all of the swearing, anarchy, and crude humor that you
would expect from young boys who are anti-establishment, but there’s also an
underlying tenderness there. I never thought I would well up during American Idiot, but there’s a first time
for everything! During “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” a song about the death
of Armstrong’s father when he was 10, I couldn’t tell whether the tears in
Faulkner’s eyes belonged to him or to his character.
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| Johnny picks up his guitar for "When It's Time" while Whatsername sleeps soundly, photo courtesy of Darren Bell |
As with
opera, there is very little dialogue to lead the story, other than Johnny’s
running monologue to inform us of the passing days, weeks, or months. The songs
really don’t need stringing together, because they speak for themselves. Song
writing is at its very core story telling, with lyrics that form the narrative.
If you’re a fan of the songs already, you’ll love seeing them performed in what
is essentially an extended music video. The cast are exceptional singers, which
makes the lack of talking all the better. The main cast members, whether they
sing alone or together, are all powerhouses – packed with their own range and
tone to get to grips with Green Day’s raucous, fast-paced songs. They don’t
falter once.
In a moment of patriotism,
underneath a flurry of red, white, and blue confetti, no matter where any of us
are from, we are united in the knowledge that we all went through “that phase” during
our teenage years and came out on the other side relatively
unscathed. Musicals have a tendency to do that, to connect us and make
us feel something, regardless of what
it might be. For the finale, however, that feeling was unanimous. The lyrics of
“Good Riddance” rang out from the whole cast: “I hope you had the time of your
life.” I did, I absolutely did, and judging by the standing ovations and cheers
from the rest of the crowd, everyone else did too. In the case of American Idiot, I think it’s impossible
not to.
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| The gang's "Homecoming," photo courtesy of Darren Bell |
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