Review: WILKO: LOVE AND DEATH AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, Theatre Royal Windsor - Tour
Photo credit: Nick Haeffner
For a brief moment in musical history, Dr Feelgood were one of the biggest bands in Britain and Wilko Johnson was their inspirational songwriter and guitarist. Often acclaimed as the Godfathers of Punk, he came between Mick Green, the guitarist with Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (formed in 1962), and Paul Weller, the guitarist with The Jam (debut single in 1977). But he was only in the band from 1971 - 1977 when artistic differences with lead singer, Lee Brilleaux, forced him out to be replaced by John Mayo. As the play recalls, the legacy continues with supposedly 27 tribute bands in Spain alone and the latest line up still touring. Yet we might have forgotten Wilko Johnson’s contribution if he had not hit the headlines this century, first as an actor in Game of Thrones and then when he discovered in 2013 that he has terminal pancreatic cancer with a prognosis of just eight to twelve months and deciding to forgo chemotherapy as he did not want to “feel like sh*t” for the rest of his life. He produced an album with Roger Daltrey and launched a farewell tour before discovering with a second opinion that his condition was operable and survivable.
That is where the play starts, with his 2013 diagnosis, before going back and looking at his life to that point in a linear narrative. As Wilko explains, it is a sort of “illustrated monologue” or a play with music rather than a “jukebox musical”. There is a feel of verbatim theatre relying on his words from his mouth rather than a well-constructed drama. We see him at school as a pupil and a teacher, meeting the love of his life Irene, forming the band and writing their first songs but it’s largely a spoken narrative with the band members acting out short scenes. Writer Jonathan Maitland explains the whole narrative in the programme notes (with a spoiler alert) but on stage, does successfully convey his relationship with Irene, Wilko’s love of literature and of Canvey Island, Essex.
But for old fans like this reviewer, it is the iconic sound of the band that stirs the nostalgic memories of their incredible energy and dynamism on stage led by the mercurial and scary, Lee Brilleaux. In Wilko: Love Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll, it is 35 minutes into the show before we get their cover version of ‘Riot in Cell Block 9’ and the first of his songs, ‘She Does It Right’, followed by ‘All Through the City’. Lee Brilleaux’ s mesmeric vocals and mouth organ playing are beautifully captured by Jon House. David John provides the Big Figure’s driving drum beat, and Georgina Field captures Sparko’s solid base line and rocking back and forth stage presence. Together, they recreate the glorious Dr Feelgood sound and James Stokes’ lighting design takes us to their concerts.
But the show depends on Johnson Willis capturing the unique guitar playing, startled eyes and open mouth of Wilko Johnson and although it feels like an affectionate imitation of his style, it never quite convinces. We never really see him strut across the forestage as we remember him. He does convey the rough diamond Canvey Island drawl which gave him a distinctive voice. When they play, it is good but the emotional backstory of his abusive father, childhood sweetheart bride (played by Lara Lemon), affairs, his wife’s death in 2004, and his own battle and “miracle cure” never fully emotionally engages and we long for the songs to be weaved more into the storytelling.
There is a slightly disappointing imbalance in the show with Wilko’s life story told in Act 1 and then in a short Act 2, we get a trip to Japan, a glimpse of Wilko’s farewell concert in 2013 with ‘Johnny B Goode’, before it imagines Lee Brilleaux and Wilko reforming to give us ‘Roxette’. All too soon we get a short encore for ‘Going Back Home’ and ‘Route 66’. At some venues, they will be joined by Wilko’s son, Simon, and the bass guitarist from Ian Drury and the Blockheads, Norman Watt-Roy, for the encore but in Windsor, it was goodnight and goodbye in just under two hours including interval.
Wilko: Love Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll is a little dark at times with Irene, Lee and Wilko’s cancers and deaths narrated and while it stirs happy memories of this wonderful band and its brilliant co-founder Wilko Johnson (1947-2022), we wanted it to be more celebratory of their legacy and music. This is one for his older fans or perhaps a younger generation who have seen the original band video clips on YouTube.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne