Tommy is a musical created around the songs from a concept album written by The Who themselves. Jukebox musicals are a popular trend in today’s theatre, simply due to the fact that they are likely to have some success as the music already has a large following.

As with the trend of many jukebox musicals, it is unfortunate that the story line is perhaps a little unpolished. At times, I felt as though the narrative was clutching at straws per se, and was sometimes difficult to follow. Having said this, what is absolutely fascinating is that the cast manage to cover this completely with the sheer talent that oozes off the stage, as well as the extraordinarily complex choreography by Mark Smith and direction by award-winning Michael Strassen. The storyline itself almost actually becomes redundant, because I was so captivated by watching the performers themselves.

I have never seen a performance like this before in my life. The musical has a constant continuous libretto and is totally sung through. This of course only creates more of a challenge for both the band and the cast. However, Strassen and Smith’s clever designs create opportunity across every inch of the stage, making the whole piece jaw-droppingly mesmerising. The choreography incorporates a lot of sign language, which is merged together with extravagant movement and creates an absolute masterpiece on stage. If I had to be picky, there is sometimes a little too much to focus on, but if being spoilt for choice is a problem that they have, then Strassen and Smith have a lot to be proud of.

Ashley Birchall is completely flawless as Tommy. His vocal tone is so perfectly easy to listen to and his dance ability is so polished, making his pristine performance impossible not to watch. It is then even more thrilling when Tommy gains his confidence and starts to sing with rockier resonance.  I also adored Carly Burns’s rendition of ‘Acid Queen’; it would be fair to say that her astonishingly talented vocal abilities are almost overwhelming as she blasts out the song.

It has to be said though that Giovanni Spano is completely guilty of stealing the show. If Strassen hired a cartoonist to draw his perfect bully-looking character, it would be Spano. And then we see Spano’s exceptional acting ability and his phenomenal dancing, and hear his impeccable voice, and I was lost in awe. This man is incredible and has the entire package, and will definitely go far in his career with talents such as his.

The standing ovation that this production received was well and truly deserved. The rock concert feel at the end just shows that absolutely everyone loved the performance, and it’s clear to see that this production is going to be very successful.

Tommy is playing at the Greenwich Theatre until 23 August. For more information and tickets, see the Greenwich Theatre website. Photo by Claire Bilyard.