Review of ‘Wilko’: “Not ready to pull the cover yet”

The English rock star returns to the stage through this musical biopic depicting the trials and tribulations of his extraordinary life. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this journey through melody, passion, and drugs should be kept out of sight.

He was better than Mozart – or so did his pals say; at least, in this play. Whether that occurred or not, I’m still waiting for that line to sound genuine – just as I’m waiting for this whole biopic to feel real. Wilko: Love And Death And Rock ‘N’ Roll, which premiered at London’s Southwark Playhouse last Monday, may be telling a true story, but hardly any moment in it flaunts too much credibility – let alone, grip and stir.

Showcasing the rise of Wilko Johnson from a small-town working-class boy to international star, this musical tribute to the life and legacy of the English songwriter fails to chord-inate emotion and storytelling in a way that’s relevant and compelling to the viewer. Full of clichéd lines and lacking both verity and gravitas in its execution despite the themes it explores, the appeal of its premise ends up fading away, almost completely, by a rather poor handling of the subject.

Devised as a play with live renditions of the artist’s most iconic songs, the narrative structure is also flawed by an overly linear approach, combined by a generally shallow treatment of the material. There is no sense of individuality in the writing – going from archetype to archetype without providing any specks of uniqueness. As a result, the interest in the recount continues to decrease to a point where we don’t actually care for what is happening anymore – no matter how dramatic the events may turn. There’s very little substance in its writing, and regardless of how hard the try to pull from the heart’s strings, the pathos rarely materializes.

Starring Johnson Willis as Wilko, accompanied by a four-piece cast playing all the remaining roles, the company makes a compelling effort by exuding great stamina in their portrayals – while the fact that they also sing and play instruments is quite refreshing. However, there’s next to no chemistry among them, with all the performances feeling slightly detached from each other. Willis succeeds at replicating Wilko’s distinctive speech to an impressive level, but his focus on impersonating his voice and mannerisms prevents his acting from achieving sufficient naturalness – with some bits feeling wooden and even phoney.

Though there’s no need to keep it out of sight, this not too well-crafted picture of the rock icon is unlikely to get you saying that it blew your mind. While Wilko may please fans just looking for a collection of fun facts onstage, those in search for a deeper exploration of the character’s humanity will, most sadly, only find such depth in their disappointment. Call it what you want, but the show seems to suffer from a lack of identity. If it’s sneaking suspicion, do give it a try. But as for my reasons to be cheerful, none of them are listed in this one.

Wilko plays at London’s Southwark Playhouse until 19 April. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara