OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Roddy Doyle 

• Setting

  Dublin, 1986

• Synopsis

  The Commitments is the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young working class music fan, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians and friends into an amazing live act, the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced. The show follows the journey of two members of a frustrated synthesizer band - the opening scene we find them playing but being ignored in a shop window - who turn to Jimmy, the local music expert, for help. Placing a classified advert in a music paper, Jimmy auditions a number of wannabes before finalising the new line up who he names The Commitments. The humour kicks in as the band get to know each other and their instruments, and proceed through early rehearsals for their first gig. Just as they improve and begin to get a name for themselves they combust. The backing singers are all getting off with the middle aged horn legend, the singer has entered Eurovision and the saxophone player has dangerous leaning towards a jazz career.

• Play Type

  Musical Theatre
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Male

  22

• Female

  12

• Total

  34

• Cast Notes

  Cast doubling occurs.

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  21 September 2013

• Production Notes

  Produced by Phil McIntyre Entertainments.

• Venue Notes

  Performed at the Palace Theatre in London's West End.

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme.