The cast during the curtain call on the opening night of Trainspotting the Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London.
Story chopped up and disconnected
Written by Irvine Welsh and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the story appears chopped up so that one scene is disconnected to the next, the story bitty, the well-known scenes and lines rattled off as if from a Trainspotting-branded assembly line, albeit in a different order: first the group trip to Blackpool for a northern soul gig, then the various set-pieces, from the speed-fuelled job interview by Spud (Kieran Andrew) to the snooker-table violence from Begbie (Frankie O’Connor) and Renton’s toilet high – the latter made more vivid with the use of back screens (video design by Douglas O’Connell).
Forgettable songs and weak imitation
Alongside covers of Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life and Lou Reed’s Perfect Day are songs written by Stephen McGuinness and Welsh which are forgettable at best, or best forgotten in the case of one with a country and western twang and another which sounds alarmingly like a riff on The Proclaimers. The leads are visibly styled on the film actors, albeit cardboard flat: Renton with shaved head and jeans but without the dark charisma of Ewan McGregor. It is hardly Lewis Kidd’s fault – characterisation doesn’t allow nuance or individuality.
There are some touching moments with the death of Alison’s (Rosie Dignan) baby and the decline of Tommy (Finlay Paul), but these are not nearly as devastating as they should be, and are briskly enacted. None of it is half as shocking, entertaining or as poignant as the film.
A bad trip indeed
The advertising declares the return of these characters, 30 years on from Danny Boyle’s film, but that’s not quite true because this train has been chugging on ever since the publication of Welsh’s novel in 1993, which has spawned a prequel, three sequels, a stage play, and a second film (T2 Trainspotting). It could be Trainspotting Inc, never ending in its mutant life forms. It’s strange to see these characters singing as they shoot up, or rage against the machine. It all seems so tame and commercial for this bunch of anti-capitalists. A bad trip indeed.
Plays until 5 September followed by UK tour.
