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Went to see Bob Carlton�s new baby at the Queens Theatre, Keep on Running it had all the usual suspects that we all like to see James Earl Adair, Jane Milligan, Wendy Parkin, Phil Reed, Nick Lashbrook and Scott Finlay. Then the newcomers to the happy band of Actor/Musicians, Maria Lawson last seen in Private lives, Emily Gardner last seen in Private lives and Jonathan Markwood last seen in Private lives and then lastly someone all long time planet fans would know, Simon Jessop, who for a long time was Bosun
The show is a flash back to a simpler time the 1960�s with James being the older and wiser Mod Bob looking back on his earlier life with his best friend Don (played by Philip) who is also a Mod.
They both started school together Bob left school to work in the local industry which was Fords and Don staying at school to do his A levels always flanked by his ever loving long standing girlfriend Michelle (Maria), who would love to settle down one day soon but not too soon where as Don wants to get out of Rainham and see the world (the standing joke is every thing is always at the end of the District line).
The show is interspersed with songs sung and played by the on stage band consisting of the main band members Marty (Jonathan) lead guitar and keyboards, Jock (Scott) bass guitar, Roxy (Wendy) numerous guitars, Dancer (Nick) drums flute, trumpet and bongos and Jane who never had a name in the band playing keyboards flute sax drums ocarina and bass guitar . With the other characters moving in and out of the band as and when needed and the band members becoming part of the scene when needed.
Emily (Kathy) plays a gypsy who feisty attitude has Dons attention on his first day at Fords where he hopes to stay till he has some money to go travelling and explore the world that is until she decides to pick a fight and gets dismissed. He later sees her in the local dance hall and main hang out of the Rockers (the Ilford Palais)(and yes its still there but now a bingo hall) where him Michelle and bob decide to go to with Don�s 1st weeks payment. Don decides that Michelle is going to be chucked so that makes room for Kathy she invites him to a salubrious eatery called the Mocca it�s a coffee shop. This is where he finds out she is sort of going out with Marty who is a Rocker one of the best lines is delivered in here by Dancer who is going out of his head with drugs and alcohol he looks at Don and says �if my nose does not deceive me this is a mod� when asking Kathy who is he with and finds out it with her he says� wot Moddy Boy!�
The next scene is Don and Kathy in bed Don wakes up to a loud knocking on her door its Dancer he wants her to sell drugs. Before seeing him out side she turns to Don and says, � make your self at home� what we see is him making the bed not what she expects when she comes back she says laughingly � I meant make the tea� it is also here that he tells her he would kill for her he loves her so much. She persuades him over another cup of tea at the Mocca to sell the drugs to all his Mod mates at Eel Pie Island although he has never been there but before he even gets there he is arrested for burglary and battery of the local chemists courtesy of Dancer although we don�t see that. Half way thought the interrogation at the local police station it is set on fire we find out later it�s done by Kathy.
During the interval which by this time is well needed the years are flown by and it�s the flower power era they are all wearing long wigs and loose flowing clothes and smoking joints.
The second half we see now Don having gone to college to do art and Bob and Michelle still hanging around together Bob still at Fords. They both go to the college to find Don to tell him his mother is dying and to urge him to come home to be with her, which he does and he is there for the funeral. He goes to a rally and is arrested for a second time but this time he finds Kathy who has changed her name to Cassandra and has been to India for a year He acts like nothing has changed and they end up together again.
While the broken hearted Michelle eases her pain of him disappearing by going to see The Graduate with Bob and they end up in the back row of the cinema and end up going out together. Cassandra being a free spirit still likes her freedom and after an argument with Don goes with Marty on his motor bike where they end up having a fatal accident with Marty dying and Cassandra being totally paralysed from the neck down. Don is so naive that he tells her that when she is better they will get a cottage in the country and he will look after her she is disgusted with this idea and asks him to do something for her, which is although you don�t see it, is to suffocate her as a love act, which Don does and then disappears to America. Bob marries Michelle and they have two children.
All this is beautifully acted and marvellously played by all concerned. Still all the better when you know that it was done during one of the hottest months we have had for years when it was hot just watching let alone acting in it.
With brilliant songs and a really good encore it is up there with the best musicals that Mr Carlton has put on (this is just my opinion). Unfortunately it is so localised that I don�t think it could tour you would have to change it every week to coincide with where the show was that week.
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