Directed by Elizma Badenhorst and produced by Jaco van Rensburg, Rock of Ages is on at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City from November 17 to December 10, being the 17th production of the musical to be staged worldwide.

The local production team had a hard-act to follow – the Broadway production ran for 2 328 performances, received five Tony Award nominations and has toured six of the seven continents!

But what a job they did, transporting theatre goers to a neon era of huge perms and 30 of the best rock songs the 80s had to offer! Each one is played live by the five-piece band, led by musical director and conductor Wessel Odendaal, and with the accompanying dance routines by choreographer Weslee Lauder, the crowed can’t help but to rock along totally enthralled.

Each of the characters demands a presence of their own on stage while coming together to tell the story with huge energy and grit.

There’s the conflicted Drew (Josh Ansley) and his love interest Sherrie (Claire Taylor), the happy-go-lucky Dennis (Craig Urbani) and neon-lit – literally – Lonny (Zak Hendriks), as well as the “I’m not gay, I’m German” Franz (Schoeman Smit) and his equally German dad, Hertz (Neels Claasen) … and all the others in between.

Rock of Ages will transport you back to 1987 where you’ll join the fight for rock and roll on California’s Sunset Strip, where you’ll rock out in The Bourbon Room, and where you’ll have more than a good laugh at some admittedly slapstick humour.

For a ROCKING night out, this is a production not be missed!

CyberStoep rating: 7,5/10