Stereophonic
Review by Sam
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
David Adjmi's Tony Award-nominated play receives its highly anticipated West End transfer after rocking Broadway!
Set in 1976, Stereophonic follows an unnamed, five-person, up-and-coming rock band (closely resembling Fleetwood Mac) as they record their sophomore album. Told across four acts, the play takes a fly-on-the-wall approach offering an insight into the recording process, drug and alcohol fuelled antics, and relationship difficulties which arise amongst the British-American band. Adjmi cleverly uses overlapping dialogue and an increased show length (3 hrs 15) to realistically imagine the band, their conversations, and convey the sprawl of the recording process. The script is crafted as a highly ambitious and intelligent piece of theatre which captures a symphonic peak behind the musical curtain of the 70's.
Arcade Fire's Will Butler adds original songs which explode onto the stage with musical prowess, as the seven strong ensemble perform, mix and record live on stage in a custom build recording studio. Ryan Rumery's masterful sound design is placed on full display and is mesmerising to be in the presence of. The incredible ensemble begrudgingly work together to create this harmonious live sound which director Daniel Aukin seamlessly weaves throughout the production.
The play works best, not when learning about the relationships of the bandmates, but when showcasing the recording process of each song. The band is most sonically in tune when recording the track "Masquerade" which rocks in a defining moment. However, whilst the cast and creatives are entirely flawless, I couldn't help but feel a slight frustration in not hearing the full recording sessions of songs. Instead, audiences only receive fragmented sections of tracks to illustrate the recording process and the multiple components which combine to make the art form itself.
Stereophonic is the definitive fly-on-the-wall music drama for fans of the 70's. It captivatingly illustrates the highs and lows of the recording process, whilst turning up the volume and pumping original music into the heart of the West End.