Ö÷²¥´óÐã

Timed to mark the 10 year anniversary of the death of disabled punk rocker Ian Dury, the musical, a Graeae theatre co-production, boasts an evenly balanced cast of disabled and non-disabled actors and musicians. This includes star of Ö÷²¥´óÐã2's Whites, Nadia Albina, DaDaFest creative director Garry Robson and our very own Mat Fraser.

The comedic and rather ridiculous plot is reminiscent of Mamma Mia because the main aim of the show is to get in as many Ian Dury numbers as possible, without letting a story get in the way. . And they certainly do pack them in.

The on-stage band's lead vocalist, wheelchair user and accomplished singer John Kelly, does a really fabulous job of bringing Ian Dury's most recognisable lyrics to life. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Plaistow Patricia and Blockheads all feature. Reasons To Be Cheerful (part 3) opens the show, with Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll ending the first half, complete with actions and audience participation.

In the second half, we were treated to an emotional performance of My Old Man and Sweet Gene Vincent

The plot isn’t complex, but it is both funny and moving, and links Ian Dury’s back catalogue together in a very respectful way. It centres around a teenage Essex supermarket worker named Vinnie, played by Stephen Lloyd. He, like his slowly declining dad (Garry Robson), and quirky sidekick Colin (Stephen Collins), is a massive Ian Dury fan and will do anything so that his dad can attend the star’s up-coming gig at Hammersmith Apollo while he is still well enough.

Vinnie also has eyes for his co-worker Janine, Nadia Albina, and is desperate to save her from her two-timing boyfriend Dave, who also happens to be his nightmare boss.

Just like the Kids from Fame, the characters could be stacking shelves, driving in a car or walking on the beach one minute, and belting out a Blockheads classic accompanied by a fully fledged dance routine the next.

Everyone, including the live band, BSL signer and audio describer appeared to be having massive fun on stage and, without exception, treated the audience to engaging and energetic performances throughout.

Like every Graeae production, Reasons To Be Cheerful aims to be fully accessible to all. As a blind theatre goer, this is something I completely support, in the knowledge that it is an incredibly difficult task to pull off.

The musical was advertised as being audio described. This is a system where visually impaired arts consumers hear a live description of what’s happening on stage at points in the performance where there is no dialogue or audible indicators. Usually, the AD is scripted, barring any unforeseen happenings, and takes place from a quiet spot, somewhere off stage. In Reasons to be Cheerful however, the describer was fully integrated in to the show, a character in his own right.

Gideon, my assistant for the evening, tells me that every time he was describing the performance,, he appeared on stage as a dodgy geezer, talking on a public telephone.

As we took our seats before it began, all the cast were already on stage. The describer, said geezer on a phone, took the opportunity to introduce the headset wearers to each character and musician individually, as well as explaining the set. Consequently, when the musical got going, I already knew each person’s voice. However, because he wasn’t hidden away during the show, he had to whisper his description in the quieter moments which was sometimes difficult to hear.

The BSL signer was also a character in her own right, dancing on a pool table and, at one point, whipping someone with a belt.

It took me a short while to attune myself to the speech pattern of Vinnie’s quirky, comedy sidekick Colin, who is deaf. His lines got the biggest belly laughs. I missed most of them, but because the entire dialogue was subtitled, noone else had any difficulty. This was slightly frustrating, but if the describer had chosen to read Colin’s lines, drowning out his great voice and comic timing, that would have been a lot worse!

I almost forgot to mention Spasticus Autisticus. Listening to a group of very talented disabled people giving this song welly on stage, I definitely had a little moment. From the day Ian Dury penned the classic, this performance was always supposed to take place.

So there you have it. Reasons to be Cheerful. A fun and unchallenging storyline, jam packed with fantastic characters. With its top notch cast and band of musicians and a great song book, you’ll leave the Theatre Royal wanting to bring Colin home in your pocket, wishing for a medical miracle for Vinnie’s dad and with hope for the future. It’s a toe-tapping, uplifting experience. Go and see it!

•Reasons to be Cheerful runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East until the 13th of November. Visit for times and ticket details.