Welcome to the house of fun!
This Madness musical tells the tale of a Camden teenager who breaks into a building site as he tries to impress his girlfriend.
We are then given two stories for the price of one, with the first version showing how the lad gave himself up and went on to live an honest but downtrodden life. In the other, the boy runs away and becomes rich and powerful by trampling over everybody else.
Running throughout the whole production is the distinctive sound of Madness with all their hit songs gleefully delivered with considerable gusto by a talented, multi-skilled young cast ably supported by four accomplished musicians.
The performance will certainly keep Madness fans extremely happy but it also provides superb musical theatre and contains some exhilarating choreography.
It is a highly energetic performance and gives the impression of having far more than the actual sixteen cast members. Most of them play more than one part and enormous credit must go to the lead character, played by Jason Kajdi, for some very slick costume changes and for portraying the different ways his character develops throughout the two storylines.
The plot concerns the temptations facing young people in deprived areas and is about family, love and relationships in communities that are being torn apart by those wishing to make money.
The first night audience were very appreciative and many were standing and dancing during a highly impressive finale containing some extremely acrobatic dancing most notably from former ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ winner, George Sampson.
Anyone who goes to this production will find it a heart warming experience and will probably be full of 1980’s nostalgia as they find themselves singing a Madness medley all the way home!
