REVIEW: Green Day’s American Idiot – Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
The story, expanded from that of the Green Day concept album, centers on three disaffected young men, Johnny, Will, and Tunny.
In a nutshell, Johnny (Alex Nee) and Tunny (Thomas Hettrick) hop on a bus out of stifling suburbia and their parents’ restrictions to look for meaning in life and try out the freedom and excitement of the city. Will (Casey O’Farrell) stays home to work out his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, sit on the sofa, drink beer and sink into desperation.
Tunny quickly gives up on life in the city, joins the military, and is shipped off to war in the Middle East. Johnny falls in love with a girl called Whatsername and even more in love with drugs.
This is an excellent show, despite being a bit thin on plot, it is full of life and energy and above all emotion, thundering along with relentless energy and contains some truly brilliant songs by Green Day. My only complaint would be the fact that this was originally a straight through 90 minute show, here, it’s split into two halves which ruins the momentum and the power of the story.
The 20-strong all-American company are fantastically talented and the whole show shines with quality throughout, Nee and O’Farrell are both in possession of particularly fine voices. Special mention must also go to the onstage band who reproduce the sound of Green Day with aplomb. An interesting, different and welcome addition to the musical theatre world.
