Review: American Idiot *** - The Edinburgh Reporter

I have to admit that when I was
invited to the opening night of American Idiot at the Edinburgh Playhouse on
Tuesday evening I didn’t know what to expect. I asked a couple of friends who
merely shook their heads and petted their lips. Eventually someone told me the
show was based on the music of American pop-punk band Green Day. Grateful for
the info, I was still none the wiser. Yet, it was an enjoyable evening even
though there wasn’t a huge crowd at the Playhouse.

Green Day first came to
prominence in the 1980s formed
in 1986 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike
Dirn. It’s a level of my ignorance that I discovered Green Day have sold more
than 85 million records worldwide and have won five Grammy Awards. Their 2004
album American Idiot was labelled a punk rock opera and depicts modern American
life in the aftermath of traumatic events such as the attacks on New York and
Washington in September 2001 and the Gulf War. As the title suggests this is
the basis of the theatre production.

The show starts with a bang and rarely lets up as you might
expect from a punkish band. It’s difficult to label a particular genre on
American Idiot but a starting point might be The Clash meets James Taylor meets
Trainspotting meets Friends. If that sounds fanciful then head to the Playhouse
and see for yourself.

The first act is just 50 minutes and comes to something of an
abrupt end. However, the start of act two has a very powerful scene where
leading man Johnny – played by Tom Milner, perhaps best known for being in BBC
Television’s Waterloo Road – dabbles with strong drugs. It’s a scene which is
unusual for a musical – it’s played in complete silence which adds to its
powerful poignancy. It’s reminiscent of the ground-breaking film Trainspotting
– there’s even a filthy toilet in the corner of the stage.

Some of the music certainly appealed to this ageing punk and
this was mixed by more gentile numbers and the scene where Milner strums his
guitar in a drug-infused stupor declaring his love for his girlfriend is very
moving.

It wouldn’t be a musical without
hope, however, and the emotionally charged number When September Ends towards
the end of the show demonstrates the characters belief that there can be better
days ahead.

Kudos to a brilliant production
and a passionate and energetic cast as well as the superb band situated at the
top of the stage.

American Idiot is on at the Edinburgh Playhouse until Saturday 9^th February 2019. Tickets here.

Edinburgh Reporter rating: ***