You get all sorts checking into the Glade rehab centre. From your run-of-the-mill drink, drugs and sex addicts to the more niche obsessives—like Barry, who is addicted to tanning, and Phil, a larger-than-life character with an appetite for food that is off the scale. This place is a melting pot of mayhem and madness for the troubled souls.
It’s the perfect setting for a musical full of misfits where drama can descend into utter pandemonium in an instance and it’s almost believable. In this case, that’s because much of this tale is based on Grant Black’s lived experience. It’s 30 years since Black checked himself into a clinic for help, and, despite the passage of time, it’s clear from the well-developed characters and journeys some of them take that his time ‘inside’ has stayed with him a lifetime. Elliot David captures all of that, including the spirit, redemption and profound life changing journey Black endured with touching precision.
Kid Pop, played by Christian Maynard, is a carefree 20-something who finds himself trapped in this ‘mad house’ with Barry, Phil, Jane and a whole rabble of other residents dealing with their demons, after he was papped whilst hoovering up a line of cocaine on a night out on the tiles. His extended stay starts off as a bit of a joke—an easy ride to avoid prison—but quickly turns into a more profound, life-affirming experience.
Maynard is fascinating to watch as he takes a journey that is so utterly believable from an irate, arrogant and petulant little shit into a calmer, thoughtful and more confident young man with a conscience. There’s a physical change as his crumpled, angry face transforms into something softer and more serene that is a joy to see. These days they call it mindfulness I believe.
The backdrop to the group’s collective rehabilitation is a score of rock inspired songs by Black in collaboration with Murray Lachlan Young that have clearly been penned both to shock and move the audience. They achieved both. ‘"Wanker" is particularly provocative and reprised several times during the show. Initially shocking, it quickly becomes the anthem of the night and perhaps the entire musical.
And then we need to discuss Mica Paris. Wow! Billed as a legend, she performs as a legend. There’s no doubt the intimate, low ceiling and in-the-round set design at Neon will help heighten every single sense in your body. And so, when Paris belts out one of those high notes, be prepared to shiver, because boy does she hit the money every time. She is sensational, gritty and still a powerhouse when it comes to delivering a ballad.
Paris plays a fairly convincing therapist in charge of nursing these broken souls back to good mental health. But all that seems less important as soon as she opens her mouth. "Museum of Loss" performed alongside Maiya Quansah-Breed is the standout moment of the night and a number one hit should it ever be released. The words come from the heart and it is sung with grit, passion and pure soul by both. It gave me goosebumps that took a while to die down.
Cheese-loving Phil, played by Oscar Conlon-Morrrey, and ‘bronzer’ Barry, played by John Barr, help lighten the mood during this sometimes heavy piece of theatre. Barry has some of the best one-liners and is perhaps the most vulnerable character—both not surprising given he’s the token camp, stereotypical gay man we used to see in scripts written in the '70s.
Phil is much more intelligent, rounded and flawed as a character, which is why he’s instantly loved, cared for and respected. This is a real person with real issues and hurdles to overcome—all so believable and relevant for many of us today. His main moment in the spotlight was the biggest curveball of the night and a deeply beautiful one that was performed with compassion and authenticity by both Conlon-Morrey and Maynard.
There’s a flimsy subplot / love story running in the background between Kid Pop and Lucy, but it’s honestly nothing more than distracting to the main narrative. Of course, it helps move the story on and frees up characters to develop, but it has little more relevance than that.
Elliot Davis writes in the show’s glossy programme that "Rehab is not just a story; it’s a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for change, growth and resilience." I couldn’t agree more. We’ve had script changes following its run at the Playground Theatre in 2022. Its return and ability to fill this new space during these tough economic times demonstrate its resilience. Now, it needs to grow into a much larger West End theatre where the show can thrive, inspire and captivate even more of us with its clever and heartwarming story.