Girls Don't Play Guitar, which is currently running at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, is a celebration of pioneering ambition and lifelong friendships. Written by Ian Salmon and directed by Bob Eaton, this story takes audiences on a journey to learn more about how all-female Liverpudlian rock and roll band The Liverbirds rose to success, and the highs and lows they faced on their way, many doubting the ability of an all female group to succeed. This true story is full of heart and empowerment, and with two of the original band joining the cast to perform a song during the curtain call on press night, it felt a privilege to be witness of this story being told.
Molly-Grace Cutler, Alice McKenna, Sara Workman and Lisa Wright all reprise their roles after the show's previous run at the Royal Court back in 2019, and it is evidently clear that the quartet have built solid foundations as a unit to portray the bond that the original band had. Cutler brings edge to her role as Val, delivering soulful and standout vocals. McKenna is charming as Mary and Workman delivers a convincing performance as the young and naive Sylvia. Wright brings all the charm and confidence of a band's front woman, and gives an incredible vocal performance. The girls bring all their energy throughout and captivate the audience's attention with their incredible talents as actor-musicians, and wholeheartedly do The Liverbird's incredible story justice.
The supporting cast (Tom Connor, Guy Freeman, Jonathan Markwood and Mark Newnham) also return to the cast, with Max Guest and Charlie West joining the team. The supporting cast all seamlessly slot into the storyline, multi-rolling effortlessly to portray the different characters that the band encounter on their rise to stardom.
Eaton's experience of working with gig theatre shines through in this piece. The pacing is maintained throughout to ensure that the story remains captivating, and the band interweave between raw and profound storytelling, and breaking the fourth wall to create a live-gig atmosphere. Salmon perfectly places The Liverbirds' success at the very heart of his writing, and whilst there was potential to dive a little further below the surface to explore more of the band's setbacks in their career, it felt joyous to witness a story of women succeeding in an industry that, at the time, women weren't always made to feel welcomed.
Every element of this production strikes a chord and feels purposeful. Mark Walters' stagnant set design exhibits a giant guitar central on the stage, adorned by TV screens. Jamie Jenkin's video projection brings a sense of nostalgia as old footage/pictures are projected onto the screen, as well as live video footage to give the feel of TV recording studio. Ian Scott's lighting design and Kate Harvey's sound design are both effective in setting the era and setting the scene, whether it be the hustle and bustle of The Cavern Club or the grandeur of the famous Star-Club in Hamburg.
Girls Don't Play Guitars is an uplifting, joyous and heartwarming celebration of the incredible successes of The Liverbirds. This is a show full to the brim with catchy songs, striking production elements and shows huge potential for future life beyond this theatre.
Girls Don't Play Guitars runs at the Royal Court in Liverpool until 26th October. For tickets and more information, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Atanas Paskalev
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