REVIEW | Trainspotting the Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket - London

Harry Brogan
2 days ago
5 min read

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As I sit and write this review one thing comes to mind, and that is the iconic 'You're joking - Not another one' video, as we gain another movie to stage adaption this time its the 90s film Trainspotting (not what you think it might sound like). From the get go it might sound like a strange film for a musical, for those who know it, and unfortunately this screen to stage leaves you with a huge underwhelming feeling.

The show currently takes its world premiere bow, 30 years after the films original release. Trainspotting the Musical follows a group (Renton, Spud, Sick boy, Begbie and Tommy), all who are heroin addicts during the 80s while living in Edinburgh, Scotland. While having one mantra of 'Choose Life', while also tackling everyday life of relationships and finding jobs.

Written by Irvine Welsh, Direction and Movement by Caroline Jay Ranger, Music and Lyrics by Stephen McGuinness, the show is intriguing from just the title. I did some research beforehand and watched the film a few days before, and from seeing both it seems quite a stretch and delivers what is a disjointed and confused production.

Original screenwriter Irvine Welsh transfers the timely film to the stage in what sadly can only be described as being questionable. Welsh tries to cram in scenes from the film to allow audiences and fans of the film the ability to recognise and make it as authentic as possible, though it is only an okay attempt. Welsh depicts some scenes that are with slight humour, though the laughter received was very minimal, and the supposed emotion there is in the show is never really felt as it should be.

Welsh writes a script that sadly the pacing is lacking. Welsh's 'narrative dialogue' for Renton (Lewis Kidd), which yes does help guide the story at times but never feels it adds much to the show, only in places, and unfortunately doesn't help guide the show away from its ever changing oddly shifting tone, while yes there are a few laughs, but only a few from what I could tell. Welsh's book feels surface level which contains a multitude of swears from the C to the F, which was quite repetitive at one point in act 1, which then results in leaving out the real deeper meanings of the dialogue, though, I understand that this is expected after watching the film, but to me it feels like a stretch in presenting an authentic but theatrical version of the film that was described as 'groundbreaking' when released. What is found here is a very loose attempt in bringing a film to stage, it feels blurry for the most part, with Irvine Welsh's writing struggling to adjust for a theatrical setting, delivering characters that don't connect, scenes feeling half written that leads to at times abrupt ends, which then overall feels messy throughout, and personally feels like another attempt in jumping on the bandwagon of screen to stage adaptions.

Music and lyrics by Stephen McGuinness and also Irvine Welsh, this is where the show lands itself into a situation. As said above the tone shifts in the show, McGuinness' music and lyrics doesn't help ground or establish an over arch tone at all, in fact the music and lyrics hinders it more. Trying to fit roughly 15 original songs around the films original listed soundtrack, the total comes to 25 musical numbers, some of which should of been disregarded from the start. The ever changing musical tones go from 'Lust for Life' (film song) opener, to then transform the attention to an original song which is sort of a 'friend song' 'Rolling the Punches', to then another original song - a so far out country number 'The Eckies And The Browns' which is reprised at the top of act 2 as the opener repeating the lyrics 'C*** Country' which makes it an awkward listen. We then move swiftly to a song called 'Youth Opportunities' which sounds more like a rave song, to then closing act 1 with a song with 'Perfect day' - and doesn't get much better in act 2. Regrettably the original musical numbers fail to keep in the mind or even if they do, it will be for all the wrong reasons which for me it resulted in more raised eyebrow awkwardly and questionably laughing, rather than showstopping applause. Lyrically, forgettable (apart from the ones for wrong reasons) Musically, confused, the musical styles never really know what they want to be, is it rock? is it 90s pop? is it jukebox? the attempt to add original music to the well known ones feels like a one-sided fight with the originals being outweighed by the known, and lastly, I must admit some of the musical arrangements, and vocal harmonies just either felt needless, or fail to fully impress.

Direction and Movement by Caroline Jay Ranger, and choreography by Christina Andrea, the choreography is another problem here, from chicken movements, to slow contemporary, it's difficult to see a fully cohesive work. There is not much movement/choreography, what there is doesn't add much to the production and makes you question the seriousness of the piece. Caroline Jay Ranger's direction tries to translate the dialogue with breaking the fourth wall and directly talking to the audience, which is a great idea, but for me struggles to find a real place in the show. Ranger's direction rarely gets going, with it being static for majority of the duration struggling to provoke emotion or establish much between characters. Ranger's direction showing the effect of drugs is okay, but again you seem to not be able to fully take it seriously due to ever shifting tones and pacing of the show.

While there's not much cohesiveness in the creative side, the cast do their best in presenting the work the best they can. Lewis Kidd as Renton is pleasing, and definitely tries to pull in the audience with direct audience address. Kidd's performance is good, and is well received with also having a good connection with Sheridan Townsley (Sick Boy), Kieran Andrew (Spud), Frankie O'Connor (Begbie) and Finlay Paul (Tommy). Rebecca McKinnis, as Cathy Renton, delivers fine vocals. While the music and material comes across as confused and for me doesn't work for the stage, the cast come together to deliver what they can throughout the show.

Some redemption for this show, comes from the set design by Colin Richmond while being simple, its fine to be a background for the show, though what feels strange is Douglas O'Connell's video design not really adding to the set and containing questionable video such as the start of the show, showing a video of a shoe being thrown in the air or weird moving silhouette of the choreography.

Overall, Trainspotting the Musical feels a disconnected production from all areas, it comes up short in many ways from the music, to the book, to the design. The material feels less guided as it should of been, for me and maybe for others Trainspotting the Musical is an off beat musical adaption, with reworks needed to help make this production to be something.

★★

Trainspotting the Musical is currently playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London until 5th September, before heading out on a UK Tour: https://trainspottingthemusical.co.uk/