REVIEW: TONY! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera), Theatre Royal Bath – ‘A show where everybody shines’

Sing it loud, with delicious high kicks: “The whole wide world is run by assholes, lunatics, psychopaths and creeps”.

Roll over, The Producers; a new musical satire’s in town (but only for a few days, so hurry up!).

Imagine you could tell a historic story of hope, great intention, and all-too-human failing. Imagine you had the talent to also let rip and take the piss with utter – angry – glee. Imagine you really nailed it, catching every narrow detail so that teens (with only folk tales of this legend), leave the theatre, laughing, “that was fantastic!”

Rosie Strobel as John Prescott, Jack Whittle as Tony Blair, Phil Sealy as Gordon Brown (on floor) – photo: Mark Senior

Harry Hill (who wrote the book – aka, the script for non-musicals-types) and Steve Brown (acerbically genius lyrics and music that’s spot-on) have pinned Tony Blair’s prime ministerial career to the stage like a moth-collector’s specimen. They take us pacily from grinning birth to deathbed confessional, sprinkling “oh, yes!es” along the way: Carol Caplin! That dance with Princess Di! Ugly Rumours! And of course, don’t forget lectern-based pointing, but with pointy fingers tucked under thumbs. You try it. See?

Peter Rowe’s direction is flawless. Francesca Jaynes’s choreography, outstanding. Hill’s script is fast and funny. Watch out for the Cherie/Tony early days and how she inspires his future manifesto. Writers, this is how you deal with exposition! (The answer is sex). When joining college band Ugly Rumours, the young Blair muses, “I’m just a humble and modest man, you know…..like Jesus Christ”. And later – don’t worry, no spoilers (you don’t know how this ends?!) – Blair says, “Three times I asked you: do you want me? And three times, you said yes”. The biblical echoes – and implicit comment – are unmissable.

Tori Burgess as Cherie Blair and Jack Whittle as Tony Blair – photo: Mark Senior

Brown’s music and lyrics make me want to buy the soundtrack: Saddam’s I never did anything wrong, Gordon Brown’s Macroeconomics and Kinnock’s Well Alright are just a few I’d recommend. The band (Tara Litvack, Ben Uden and Harry Bent) stay politely in the background but really pack a punch.

And last: this cast is wildly talented and clearly having a ball. Special mentions to Rosie Strobel (Prescott, a Gallagher and Bin Laden – at least), Sally Chong (a Robin Cook par excellence), Phil Sealey (oh – slowly gasp it – Gordon) and Tori Burgess for her cheeky Cherie. And Howard Samuels is a marvelously Mephistophelian Mandelson, in various guises, including a kilted Alistair Campbell and gorgeously maniacal Dick Cheney.

But top gold star must go to Jack Whittle for an outstanding Tony Blair. What a cherry on the cake. With voice and mannerisms to die for, he’s a case study in how a good performer goes great when everything behind him – cast, direction, tech, music and writing – is really at its best.

Jack Whittle as Tony Blair – photo: Mark Senior

This is a show where everybody shines. But it’s also very sad. The tragedy, of course, is not about Blair, but the countless lost and ruined lives from 9/11 and war in Iraq. Hats off to Hill and director Rowe for giving this space, and space with real impact.  And so, we end up back where we started, at a deathbed confession and a place of emotional horror, a political mirror held aloft by a grinning, high-kicking cast:

“The whole wide world is run by assholes, lunatics, psychopaths and creeps.”

If you haven’t worked it out yet, I recommend you book as fast as you can.

TONY! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera) is at Theatre Royal Bath from July 3-8 at 7.30pm, with additional 2.30pm matinee shows on Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets are available at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.

All photos: Mark Senior

Read more: Review: An Inspector Calls, Theatre Royal Bath – ‘A script that’s so clever, it’s timeless’

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