Rock of Ages, Sunderland Empire

WE are in the LA in the Bourbon Room, the "Temple of Rock n Roll Kick-Assery". The Dress Code appears to be: Dudes – Denim and Hair, Chicks – Very Little. The story is the standard boy, Drew, meets girl, Sherrie. Girl goes to the John with Rock God Stacee Jaxx, Boy retracts offer of blanket and wine box.

Oh, and then there’s the subplot, of a crazed German, Hertz wanting to eradicate the Rock outta town. He buys off the mayor, but the mayor’s secretary isn’t such a pushover. The name of this secretary is Regina (rhymes with – ah, you guessed) Kunst. I think you can now guess the levels of taste and humour at which this show operates.

That said, this is very funny with endless references to… anyone they were allowed to mention. The playlist does feature some classics from 1980’s Rock, like We Built This City and The Final Countdown, but many others you would stonewash your neighbour to hear are missing.

The cast is RAD, both with the tongue-in- cheek attitude of the piece and also the singing and writhing. Noel Sullivan as Drew can wrap his lips around words more efficiently than a lot of things, while Ben Richards is the consummate, swaggering Rock God Stacee Jaxx, everyone’s dream and nightmare simultaneously. Cordelia Farnworthy as Sherrie is sweetly-voiced and somehow injects some actual pathos.

I tired of staring endlessly at ladies’ bottoms and suspenders. When Sherrie had to join the strip show, I barely noticed the difference. The audience, of more men than women for a change, were unusually attentive, but I did yearn for a couple more positive female role models – wearing skirts.

However, ultimately this silly, funny show has an electric energy all of its own.

Sarah Scott

• Runs until Saturday, August 2
• Box Office: 0844-871-3022 or atgtickets.com/sunderland