Trainspotting 💉

#PRInvite #Gifted | Choose Life. Choose the Trainspotting Musical? A stage adaptation has made its way to London's West End before embarking on a major UK tour.

Star rating: ★★★

The much anticipated Trainspotting musical officially pulls into the platform at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London - and I was delighted to be asked along to the show’s media night. Hoping to transport audiences back to the nineties, this new stage adaptation arrives thirty years on from “the film that changed everything.” Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud, Tommy and Kelly - the industrial drug-crazed working class heroes are back - injecting themselves directly into the West End for its World Premiere ahead of a full UK tour.

Set against the backdrop of Leith, Edinburgh, audiences are introduced to Renton: styled with the signature buzzcut and gaunt features made famous by the film. He narrates most of the story. Though this is a tale fuelled by addiction, Renton is different. He is self-aware, articulate, but desperately cynical. His life and volatile relationships with his friends and parents serve as the engine powering the narrative, leaving the audience watch on as their lives go off the rails due to heroin.

First published in 1993 by Irvine Welsh before making its iconic cinematic leap in 1996, Trainspotting is widely hailed as the 10th greatest British film of all time (and public polls frequently name it the best Scottish film ever made). With such a distinct identity and cult following, Welsh brings it to the stage in an entirely new format, coupling the literature of the book and the film’s soundtrack with a brand-new musical score. Welsh goes as far to say that the musical tops the novel and film altogether - holding this musical to a high standard.

What’s most refreshing about the production is that it is so rare to have Scottish material traveling into the West End. Delivered with a thick, unapologetic Scottish tongue, the piece feels like a true testament to Scottish pride. While other critics, influencers and audience members have noted their struggles keeping up with the dialect, I was perfectly situated to welcome the broad Scottish accent taking centre stage. The cast sports strong Scottish representation, too - including two cast members from Aberdeen. Despite Renton’s famous declaration that it’s “shite being Scottish,” I have a feeling the musical will express-pass straight into audiences’ hearts when it arrives in Edinburgh this September.

The music and lyrics are penned by Stephen McGuinness and Irvine Welsh. Taking audiences on a nostalgic transit through a ‘90s catalogue, the score is dominated by nightclub tunes - are inoffensive but unmemorable, and stuck at a red signal. It 25 songs: most created specifically for the stage, alongside two recognisable hits from the film. Bookending the first half with these familiar tracks is a clever move. Opening with ‘Lust for Life’ struggles to get the motor running, but it’s ‘Perfect Day’ that feels most at home in a musical theatre format.

Despite the hefty song list, Trainspotting rarely feels like a musical - but I suspect that’s the intention. The show’s marketing promises that “the past isn’t revisited - it lingers. The musical doesn’t tidy it. It sits with it. Listens to it. And lets it sing’. Yet, at times, particularly at the start, the show’s pacing chugs away at a crawl because it felt the writers seem almost too timid to let the characters burst into song. Part of me felt a Trainspotting play might be a better destination.

The truth is that none of the music is that impressive, and there are no vocal standouts in the show. While hearing a new genre landscape in the West End is a welcome change of pace, the book and lyrics need a serious overhaul. There are some solo numbers which feel incomplete and severely underutilise the casts’ ability. The show concludes with the injection of ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ which is an example of the writers’ lacking inspiration and capability - it is lazy writing, in my opinion and almost like they ran out of steam.

The cast are mostly made up of West End debuts, and a sprinkle of notable names, which makes this very special.

Lewis Kidd is Renton in the West End. Kidd is engaging , charismatic and excellent in the role. Renton acts as a narrator for the show, and whilst transitioning between acting and breaking the forth wall works well, it needs further unpacking. Too much of the plot relies on “tell, don’t show”, which defeats the purpose of going to the theatre if it can be delivered as a podcast instead. The show looks forward to welcoming Robbie Scott to the role when it embarks on its UK tour.

Kidd is joined by Sheridan Townsley as Sick Boy, Kieran Andrew as Spud, Frankie O’Connor as Begbie and Finlay Paul as Tommy - all of whom bring the characters to life authentically and distinguishably. The number they perform together, “Youth Opportunities”, is one of the only songs that has stayed in my head.

Rebecca McKinnis and Gordon Cooper play Cathy Renton and Davie Renton respectively. The parents aren’t overly involved in the first part of the show, but they get their moment late on. McKinnis has definitely been seen in better roles which showcase how brilliant she is as a performer - it's a shame Trainspotting derails her full capabilities.

Kelly’s character is remodelled slightly, played by Yana Harris. She is joined by Ashley J. Russell as Colleen, Rosie Dignan as Alison and Sophie Hutchinson as Lizzie.

Melanie Marshall is the ‘Call of Heroin’ - an intriguing, metaphorical concept that I would have missed entirely had I not read the programme. Marshall spends the vast majority of the show tucked behind a gate in the wings, as if singing in a moody jazz club. Keeping her buried in the background robs the show of any form of diversity as one of the few (if not only) actors of colour in the cast. Her involvement in the show is a detail that can be very easily missed, only appreciated with some background research.

The company are completed by Ally Kennard, Kieran Brown, Samuel Stewart, Finlay McKillop, Ciara Ennis, Victoria Nicol, Kyra Fyvie and Chris O’Mara.

Colin Richmond designs the set which is comprised of 5 video walls set against the backdrop of train station alcoves and arches. The video walls are rarely used to the show’s advantage in the first half, but become more dynamic in Act 2 with the help of Douglas O’Connell’s video design. Richmond also coordinates the costumes, which are effective in the main: but need grunging up - everything looks a bit too pristine and fresh off the rack, a classic side effect of a show at the very start of its run.

Truthfully, I walked into Trainspotting the Musical expecting very little, and came out feeling exactly as I went in. Whilst it isn’t the worst show I’ve ever seen, it is definitely the poorest production I’ve seen in the West End. Producers ask the audiences to Choose Life and to Choose their show - but my recommendation is to wait until it hits the road and by then, it might be on the right track. 

Credits

Instagram links: @theatregramuk, @aberdeenperformingarts, @trainspottingmusical

Review by Joel Simpson cc: theatregram@gmail.com

Production photos supplied by Maidwell Marketing