The Commitments extends booking period
THE COMMITMENTS has extended its booking period at the Palace Theatre until April 19, 2015.
The show has played to packed houses since it opened in October 2013, with the recent Christmas and New Year period confirming it as the most successful show in the long, illustrious history of the Palace Theatre.
On announcing the extension, producer Phil McIntyre said: “We’re extremely happy to announce that The Commitments has extended its current booking period to April 2015. The show has really found its feet in the Palace Theatre and the response from audiences has been quite incredible.”
The cast includes popular stage actor Killian Donnelly (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables) who plays the arrogant but gifted lead singer of The Commitments, Deco.
Donnelly has already received huge critical acclaim for his performances, The Independent describing his portrayal of Deco as “phenomenal”, while The Observer stated that “Killian Donnelly is the star of the show”.
Donnelly has waited his whole life to play this role, having constantly been told by his mum that he was too young to watch or read The Commitments when growing up in Dublin.
The show, adapted for the stage from his original novel by Booker Prize-winning Roddy Doyle, is directed by the award-winning Jamie Lloyd, famed for directing the critically acclaimed Macbeth, and is packed with classic soul songs including Think (Aretha Franklin), (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones), Papa Was A Rolling Stone (The Temptations), Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd), In The Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett), Try A Little Tenderness (Otis Redding) and of course, Mustang Sally.
The Commitments is the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young working class music fan, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians into an amazing live act, the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced.
Placing a classified advert in a music paper, Jimmy auditions a number of wannabes before finalising the new line up who he names The Commitments. The humour kicks in as the band get to know each other and their instruments, and proceed through early rehearsals for their first gig.
However, just as they improve and begin to get a name for themselves they combust. The backing singers are all getting off with the middle aged horn playing legend, the singer has entered Eurovision, the drummer has walked out mid-gig and the saxophone player has dangerous leanings towards a jazz career.
Tickets: £10 – £67.50. To book, call the box office on 0844 874 0790 or visit www.thecommitmentslondon.com/ or www.indielondon.co.uk.
Times: Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday at 3pm, Sunday at 2.30pm and 7pm.
NB: The part of Deco will be performed by Ian McIntosh at Tuesday and Sunday evening performances.