As someone born well after the 1970s in Asia, I was unsure as to what an evening of “Roller Mania” would have in store for me, if anything at all. Any such concerns were immediately proven irrelevant as soon as the curtain lifted on Rollers Forever.
In the working-class village of Croy, best friends Jenny and Susan (portrayed by actors Fiona Wood and Chiara Sparkes) and their adolescent years are at the heart of this musical tribute to the 70s pop sensation Bay City Rollers (BCR) . The story was brought to life by director Liz Carruthers and Musical Director Dale Parker, capturing a quintessential teenage experience; one that traverses geography or time and as highlighted throughout the story, even social class.
The show is a journey of how fandom for the Bay City Rollers took over Scotland and went worldwide, with the band steadily winning over a range of populations, from young girls and reluctant boys to their grumpy high school teacher. In this journey, the writing comedically pursued emotions that come with teenage fascination, obsession and desperation. Music, dance, friendship, and love were effective vehicles used to carry the story forward. The show featured popular BCR songs such as ‘Bye Bye Baby’ and ‘Give A Little Love.’ The live band with Tyler Collins on guitar, Gregor John-Owens on Bass and Lauren Macdonald on drums gracing the stage through the entire show never missed a beat.
The characters were instantly relatable to everyone in the audience, for which the acting performances must be commended. If you grew up in the 70s, you probably could not escape the constant references to the era, entrenched in Scottish humour.
Costumes and the set design paid the sincerest homage to the decade’s aesthetics with retro colours that play a major role in our transportation to a different time. The majority of the audience had been BCR fanatics and were earnest in following the tartan dress code. On being asked what they thought about the show, an instant wide smile triggered by their two-hour walk down memory lane appeared on their faces.
Apart from a small, forgivable technical error at the start, the show ran seamlessly, and was a most authentic portrayal of the “Roller Mania” that has gripped the generation. One could credit the same authenticity also to the fact that a band member Stuart “Woody” Wood was an artistic consultant on the show.
All in all, Rollers Forever, particularly the second half, was a raging success — the measure of which came down to empty chairs towards the end of the show as people excitedly got up and sang along to their favourite songs of the era.
Image by Wattie Chueng provided to The Student as press material.
