Get ready to rock out to two hours of non-stop fun and music, with hits we all know and love from back in the day.
ROCK OF AGES is not only hilarious, but we guarantee you’ll be singing along from start to finish with something like 25 classic rock anthems, including, ‘We Built This City’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘Here I Go Again’, ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ and ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, all played loud and proud by an awesome live band.
Now you may have seen the movie which was out a decade ago, with Tom Cruise no less, but seeing it live on stage, where you can really let your 80s hair down and rock down, is the only way to fully appreciate the power of the show.
This is the farewell tour which rocks up to the Swansea Grand Next week and you really don’t want to miss this one. And Corrie fans get ready as Curly Watts heading our way.
It’s a welcome return to Rock Of Ages for KEVIN KENNEDY who is back as ‘Dennis Dupree’, a role he previously played to huge acclaim in 2018.
But this isn’t a show of individuals, it really is a full cast effort, and the rest of the cast are ready to set the stage alight. They include….
Sam Turrell as ‘Drew’, Gabriella Williams as ‘Sherrie’ and Jenny Fitzpatrick as ‘Justice’. Tim Oxbrow is ‘Lonny’, Vas Constanti plays ‘Hertz Klinemann’, David Breeds is ‘Franz Klinenmann’, Stephanie Chandos is Regina and Erin Bell is ‘Constance’ and also the Dance Captain for the company.
The full cast is completed by Scott Hayward, Darius James, Phoebe Samuel-Gray , Tianna Sealy-Jewiss, Janine Somcio and Rhys West the Resident Director and Choreographer.
As with all great musicals Rock Of Ages is a boy meets girl tale, but don’t expect hearts and flowers, this is pure rock and roll. I think when you’ve seen the trailer for this tour you’ll get what we mean. In the nicest possible way, it’s wild and bonkers, and all you want to do is sing and dance.
Kevin Kennedy is probably best known for his portrayal of ‘Curly Watts’ in “Coronation Street”, but his West End theatre credits are pretty impressive too. He’s been ‘Amos’ in “Chicago” at the Adelphi Theatre and “We Will Rock You” at the Dominion Theatre. Kevin has played both ‘Caractacus Potts’ and ‘The Child Catcher’ in the hit musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, becoming the first actor to have played both roles.
He appeared as ‘Dennis Dupree’ in the 2018 UK Tour of “Rock of Ages” and has also appeared in the national tours of the musicals “The Rocky Horror Show”, “The Commitments” and Kay Mellor’s “Fat Friends”.
We asked Kevin about his acting but also his passion for music, something has has been with him most of his life.
“Oh yes, it’s incredible to be able to put your two passions together – one being of course acting and the spoken word and the other being music, which is something I’ve loved throughout my life. To put those together is a perfect marriage, and in a vehicle such as Rock of Ages it is a whole lot of fun as well!”
We’ve touched on the storyline already Kevin but for those who don’t know, what the plot of this fantastic show?
“Rock of Ages is set in Los Angeles, California in the mid 1980s. It’s about a rock club called The Bourbon Room, which is absolutely legendary, every single band you could think of has played there. It’s an icon of rock’n’roll and absolutely the place to be, but the local council are attempting to close it down so we are fighting them. Alongside all of that there’s a beautiful love story, lots and lots of jokes and of course some of the most incredible music from the 80s like “Here I Go Again”, “The Final Countdown” and “I Want To Know What Love Is”.
And how does your character, ‘Dennis’ fit into this?
“So, Dennis is the owner of The Bourbon Room and he’s an absolute rock guru. He’s given all these now legendary bands their stars and he’s been in bands himself. He’s also embraced the drug culture and intense sexuality of the 1980s with much enthusiasm and regularity! He’s a very interesting man to play – he’s got a good heart at his core but he’s a child of his culture and loves his sex, drugs and rock’n’roll! He’s a lot of fun to play!”
We can’t have you here and not mention Curly Watts and your time on the Street. I’m guessing there is a huge difference between acting on television and on the live stage like the Swansea Grand?
“TV is a totally different skill and technique to theatre. Not least because you may put something in the can after filming and not get the payback of that for months or event years. You can almost film it, and then forget about it. With theatre however, it’s obviously live and live theatre is one of the last true shared experiences you can have – along with football! In the theatre you are all together and sharing one experience which is happening live, right in front of you and there’s not a lot of that left. That in itself generates its own energy and excitement as no two shows are the same. The show that you come and see will never been exactly the same as that ever again which is quite an exciting thought.”
“ROCK OF AGES” boasts some of the biggest hits of the 1980s as its soundtrack. Were you a fan of 80s rock music?
“I was a young-ish man in the 1980s and not a huge fan of some dance music, so the last refuge of guitar music to a certain extent was that brilliant American glam-rock that we showcase in Rock of Ages. They play their own instruments and perform live on stage so I had a huge respect for that”.
Do you have a favourite moment or number in the show?
“Numerous moments! Although what I really enjoy is watching the other members of the cast doing their big solo numbers because they’re all so incredibly talented and it’s great to watch and learn from them. It’s been so lovely to see them grow into their characters from the first rehearsal through to our performances on tour now, where it all comes to fruition.”
What about a favourite song?
“Oh the entire finale is my favourite as it is just one big fat rock’n’roll number.”
Finally, what can audiences expect when they come and see Rock of Ages in Swansea?
“They can just expect to have a great time. If you’re a seasoned theatre-goer or you’ve never been to a show before you will have a lot of fun. If you want to come dressed in your leather trousers and embrace your inner 80s rock star then do that! Even bring along an inflatable guitar if you want – everything is just a whole lot of fun.”
The Rock Of Ages set is outstanding and the costumes will take you right back to those denim and leather filled days of big hair and even bigger songs. And those songs are played by the best live band you’ll hear in a show. Musical Director and Keys is Liam Holmes, Guitar 1 Liam Stevenson, Guitar 2 Alex Ward, Bass Guitar Elliot Mason and Drums Vito Guerrieri.“ROCK OF AGES” has a book by Chris D’Arienzo and arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.
ROCK OF AGES is a naughty, funny and music filled night, with songs we all know and love. It gets to the Swansea Grand Theatre from this Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th June. Performances are at 7:30pm with a 2:30pm matinee show on Thursday and Saturday.
You can get more details, and book your tickets HERE.
Incidentally, when Rock of Ages rocks into the city you really won’t miss them. Their tour truck is – well, should we say, more than a little noticeable
