Words: Gareth Ludkin
★★★★☆
A glimpse, a taste and a nostalgic hit of the 1980s ska scene; Rude: A Ska Musical, recalls an evocative mix of music, race and culture in Cardiff. The love, laughs and relationships formed through the emergence of ska and two tone, are presented through the story of Roddy, a mixed-race 47-year-old, looking back at his teenage rudeboy-self and the characters, culture and music that informed his youth.
Theatre group, Give It A Name, bring to life memories of growing up amidst the Cardiff Ska and reggae scene, and in the perfect setting of The Rocking Chair, the performance almost seemed at home. Based on the memories and story of Tony Wright, a veteran rudeboy from the Cardiff reggae scene, there was an added local resonance in the performance.
Engaging, nostalgic and fun, an unrefined polish added to my enjoyment, and a rich vein of humour kept me grinning throughout. With a touch of improvisation, the actors took the performance to the audience, building the set around them as the plot recalled memories of music, unemployment, love and violence.
The cast skanked, acted and hung out their washing amid the audience, helping to overcome the awkward nature of the performance space, and the live band provided an excellent soundtrack. Narrating the story through music, classic ska tunes bookended memories, and throughout the band had the audience tapping their feet and the cast skanking along with them.
Although important themes of race, identity and class are not tackled in any great depth, Rude addresses with broad brush stokes, the multicultural aspects of the 1980s and the boundaries that were, in-part, broken down by the emergence of ska and two tone. Rude reminds us of the familiarity of the 1980s, providing a glimpse, rather than an in-depth deconstruction, of life as an unemployed rudeboy out for a bit of fun. There was a real sense of fun and nostalgia in the performance, and I left the Rocking Chair with a big grin on my face.
Rude: A Ska Musical runs until Sat 18 Dec at the Rocking Chair. Tickets can be bought from the Chapter Arts Centre box office.
For a preview of the show, check out their promo video…here
