THEY’VE played all over the world, including the White House before President George W Bush, and now The Stars From The Commitments are heading for the Palace Theatre in Redditch with their knockout show of soul classics.
The tale of the rag tag Irish band has captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of people in the 25 years since Alan Parker’s film of Roddy Doyle’s book took cinemas by storm.
Speaking from Dublin Ken McCluskey, who played Derek ‘The Meat’ Scully in the original film and who’ll also be on stage at the Palace said: “Some of us got back together in 1993 and we’ve been touring ever since playing some really big venues like the White House so it’s great to be back in theatres like the Palace again where it’s more intimate and the ambience is so good.”
What’s promised is a non-stop revue of soul classics with numbers taken from both the movie and the three albums the band have issued.
“These are great songs, classics, numbers like Mustang Sally and Midnight Hour, songs of oppressed people that you could hear on a compilation album.
“But there’s also a touch of magic, if that makes sense, the magic of the The Commitments that brings it all alive,” said Ken.
Back in 1990 he was playing bass in a Dublin band and trying for the big time when Alan Parker came to town and held open casting for the stars of the film that would be come The Commitments.
“I was 24 years-old, I did the audition, did a few more auditions and got the part and from there it was a brilliant springboard for me.
“Just being on the film set I was learning so much – you couldn’t pay for the tuition we received.
“Up until then I knew nothing about films other than watching them but Alan Parker was a phenomenal director; to take a bunch of novices and to craft this film, it was life changing in so many ways,” said Ken, who also co-manages the band.
Billed as ‘the best soul review’ by Dan Ackroyd, of The Blues Brothers, The Stars From The Commitments play the Palace Theatre on Friday, October 16 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £26.75 on 01527 65203 online at www.redditchpalacetheatre.co.uk or in person from the box office.
