Tonight’s the wrong kind of night

Tonight’s the Night, Palace, Manchester

TONIGHT might be the night, but does this really have to be the show?

Lazy, crass and pointless, it’s yet another of Ben Elton’s pension-fund creations, written apparently without much thought or interest.

“Mamma Mia” has a lot to answer for: its creators worked hard to make a charming little story work in the context of some great pop songs. Elton, on the other hand, ploughs through his subject’s back catalogue and appears to stick a pin in the list whenever a song is required.

I’d like to think it is because Elton knows — just as he did with his equally lame Queen jukebox show, “We Will Rock You” — that there isn’t much point being clever, all the public is really interested in is the music, and everything else is just fluff to bump the evening out to 10pm.

In which case this is a cynical exercise in giving the public exactly what it wants and probably deserves. And since it has been around since 2003 and there hasn’t been any sort of revolt against it or its creator, perhaps I’ll just stop whinging. It’s your money.

Over in Gasoline Alley, diffident Stuart (Ben Heathcote) worships Mary (Jenna Lee-James) from afar, as does fellow worker Rocky (Andy Rees), who in turn is worshipped by Dee Dee (Jade Ewen).

Instead of simply asking Mary out, Stuart does a deal with the devil to become a rock star, becomes insufferable and blows any chance he had.

That’s pretty much it until the devil rescinds the deal and Stuart miraculously finds Mary wants him again and he’s a rock star anyway, because all he needed was confidence.

Along the way there’s the laugh-along band member Stoner, who is always, well, stoned and thus amusing; and there’s the rock promoter Baby Jane, whose name is ironic and who is borrowed from every cliche-ridden rock movie ever written.

It’s not all bad, of course: the music is legendary (though the score is noticeably shored up with album fillers mid first half, so all the good stuff comes in act two); the singing also is very strong, the set is big and expensively put together, the sound and lighting likewise.

Generally a very good time is had by all Rod Stewart fans, and no doubt will be at full houses to Saturday.