Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet, Edinburgh review: 'brings mods and rockers back to life'

Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh ★★★★

When something iconic starts life in one genre and evolves into another, it always comes with challenges. Books turned into TV programmes never quite match our imagination, and in the case of Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet, you have to leave your celluloid memories behind and embrace the show on its own terms.

Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet | Johan Persson

Replicating the 1979 film on stage, with its huge fight on Brighton promenade, pulsating dance club scene and engine-revving motorcycles and scooters, would be impossible. That said, however, this new production certainly gives it a good go. It’s very much Pete Townshend’s baby: he wrote the storyline (and the original album) but has clearly handed over the reins to specialists to deliver his vision, in particular the arresting video design, which fills the entire stage with the choppy waters below Beachy Head, amongst other locations.

Similarly, Townsend’s wife, Rachel Fuller (along with Martin Batchelar) has turned The Who’s album into a phenomenal orchestral score, which does much of the emotional heavy lifting.

Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet | Johan Persson

Directed by Rob Ashford, this production focuses in on lead character Jimmy’s mental health issues, and we often see him surrounded by four aspects of his personality - the tough guy, the lunatic, the romantic, and the hypocrite - which gives choreographer Paul Roberts an interesting palette of moves to work with. Roberts and Ashford also take a deep dive into the lacklustre relationship between Jimmy’s parents, which bears poignant fruit.

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Despite this, the show doesn’t make us feel quite as much as we should, which is a shame. What it does do, though, is capture what it was like to be young at this moment in British history: the energy, the rivalries, the disillusionment and love affair with fashion.

The talented 22-strong cast never falters, bringing mods and rockers back to life through dynamic group scenes, a sensual imagined ménage à trois, and some dramatic cliff-edge moments, as Jimmy wrestles with his future.

At the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, until 14 June

READ MORE: Rob Ashford on directing Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet: 'the dancers loved it'