Music is the focus of Caroline the Musical, a show about the birth of Radio Caroline, the pirate broadcaster, recorded for digital presentation at the New Wolsey Theatre and directed by Douglas Rintoul.
Set against a parade of hits from the 1960s, it sets out how bands and advertisers came together to target young listeners. And what a soundtrack – from the Stones to Spencer Davis, the Kinks to Lulu.
Robbie Jackson (Jake Halsey-Jones) wants to prove himself to his girlfriend Caroline (Claire Lee Shenfield) and uses his music knowledge and sense of humour to grab the teatime slot as a DJ on the new ‘radio ship’.
When Vikki Stone wrote the musical, she created a fictional DJ inspired by real-life names like Tony Blackburn and Johnnie Walker, and really got stuck into how the station used its USP of new tracks and giveaways to provide a real alternative to the BBC.
Caroline is the first production to be launched by the East Anglia Touring Consortium: Eastern Angles Theatre Company, HighTide, Landmark Theatres, Mercury Theatre Colchester, New Wolsey Theatre, Norwich Theatre, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.
The disapproving older generation are depicted by Caroline’s mother, and the Postmaster General, who see the rise of the pirate radio broadcasters as a form of ‘moral degredation’ because there are no suits or RP accents.
It’s certainly corny, but very funny and the quality is excellent for what is effectively a jukebox musical. The choices move the plot along and add the kind of energy that must have inspired boomer children to grow and think they could change the world.
The performances by Halsey-Jones, Shenfield, Joey Hickman (Declan) and Gareth Cooper (Postmaster General) are the standouts of a carefully cast show, with the actor-musicians offering excellent support as the band.
The story of Radio Caroline from 1964-1967 – at which point Radio 1 had launched, employing quite a few pirate DJs – is an interesting one, and well depicted here while crafting a dramatic arc around it.
I’m giving this 4 stars.
Caroline: A New Musical is currently on a ‘digital tour’ on demand until 30 Sep.