Storyhouse, Chester – until Saturday 15th July 2023
Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
Tony Blair, Rock Opera, Musical Comedy are not generally the words that come to mind when thinking about the long standing Labour M.P. and former Prime Minister. Written by Harry Hill and Steve Brown, those familiar with Harry Hills TV work well would do well to expect typically British slapstick satirical humour. It’s silly, it’s daft, it’s downright hillarious. I get people will be reluctant to head to the theatre to watch as it’s hard to pin it down into a catergory.
It begins with a flash of lightening and clap of thunder as Tony is wheeled in on his deathbed, yes I jumped in my seat so from the very start I got what I wasn’t expecting. Tony’s deathbed confession is the flashback through the years, from worshipping Mick Jaggers (no one corrects him) to becoming the pop Prime Minister. It at times flies close to crossing the border into offensive territory, you feel your teeth gritting, but it does well to remember this is in Harry’s words not a history lesson, neither has it been endorsed by any fictionalised person on stage. It is just a comedic dramatisation of events through the years and if any of us are truly honest have probably wondered about and highly likely imagined. Enough about reality back to the stage, in Tony’s words let’s get back to him!
There are 8 actors on stage covering a multitude of characters, all close propellants in the rocket ship that is and was Tony Blair. We may learn a fact or two, we may already know a fact or two. But the strength is in the speed the story moves, the glossing over certain ideas, skipping past years that pulls us away from it being autobiographical. It feeds from British institutions such as Spitting Image and Monty Python and quite often switches up a gear from musical to farce, the trick is to watch for those little things such as Tony going glossy-eyed whilst maintaining that smile during Gordon Browns speech and to keep listening. Jack Whittle must’ve practised holding that smile for hours in the mirror, I wonder how much his jaw must ache.
To me he was convincing as Tony the man who wanted to be famous and ended up believing his own hype. The wrestling match between him and an ever deep breathing making me feel like hyperventilating Gordon Brown (Phil Sealey) had me looking for Harry Hill as it had his touch all over. Toni Burgess played Cherie Blair straight off Dock Road and into Brookside Close, You can’t help but actually warm to Cherie in a way I never did in real life; even pulling that flat smile of hers to perfection. Howard Samuels is Mandy the dame in this pantomime. Keeping the audience enthused, interacting constantly with us, sketching with Tony over wanting the carrot or the stick for which I am glad I was not in the first few rows and pulling chewed carrot out of my hair. Peter Mandelson now Lord Mandelson was always a character comedians loved and Howard deserves a massive standing ovation for bringing his quirky side to the front of stage, I even noticed the old joke of him being a blood sucking vampire slipping in. I loved Groucho Marx as Saddam Hussein as did my Iraq War veteran hubby, this also may explain why I got so many references through gags that I wonder if younger generations may miss great jokes. George Bush being rallied by Dick Cheney (the brilliant Howard Samuels again) who points out Saddam beat his Father and they should forget Afghanistan and get Iraq is another highlight for me, how they railroad Tony and he ends up looking like hes been caught up in the Hangover with a breakdown and a sexed up dossier leading to his downfall and fall from grace. It ends with the absolute genius song The Whole Wide World…. Is run by Assholes.
Where Tony back in his suit looking suave points out all the bad leaders ending with Putin in Russia. Tony Blair who then points a finger at the audience after someone shouts murderer from the back of the theatre and I’m still non the wiser if it was meant to be or someone getting carried away. Tony asks the question who of you put me here 3 times even after Iraq you still voted me in…. and do you know what that’s the whole point of the show yes he lied, yes he was smug and spun a good a word but he led and we followed. We kept him there. Tony the Rock Opera has brought a new format to the stage they’ve dissected a person by pulling them apart from a perfect shape and twisted the extreme motions moulded into a brand new package. Never before have I skipped back to my car humming The Whole Wide World is run by Assholes and I wonder if I’ll ever be the same again.