Jaxx is Back

Rock of Ages returns to Playhouse

After a month of Matilda, the Playhouse is getting back to weekly turnarounds from Tuesday 30 April, with the arrival of the Selladoor tour of Rock of Ages.

The Edinburgh dates see boy-band buddy turned Blood Brothers bad-boy, Antony Costa play Stacee Jaxx, a role he is taking over for the April and May dates of the tour, with Kevin Clifton returning to it for July and August.

MGA Academy alumni Rhiannon Chesterman as Regina with the Rock of Ages ensemble. Pic: Richard Davenport

A classic love story set against the backdrop of the LA Sunset Strip in the 1980s, Rock of Ages and its 25 (count ’em) rock anthems inspired the 2012 Hollywood film of the same name starring Tom Cruise.

The core girl-meets-boy situation follows Sherrie, fresh off the bus from Kansas, who has her bag stolen by a random passer-by and then her heart by Drew Boley, a wanna-be rocker who works as a busboy in a famous Hollywood Strip rock joint, the Bourbon Room.

Blue

Antony Costa is best known as a member of the hugely successful boyband Blue. His musical theatre credits include Mickey Johnson in the West End production of Blood Brothers, Milton in the UK tour of Sixties musical Save The Last Dance For Me and Roddy O’Neil in Seventies musical Boogie Nights.

Antony Costa as Stacee Jaxx. Pic Tracey Whitefoot

Away from the jukebox musicals, he was most recently seen in Edinburgh playing the role of Roger Meadows in the UK tour of A Judgement in Stone at the King’s in February 2017.

Now he will be playing the luscious Eighties rock god Stacee Jaxx, who has agreed to play one last gig at the Bourbon Room before splitting his band, Arsenal. And who immediately makes rock god eyes for Sherrie.

“He’s cheeky and very sure of himself, especially when it comes to the ladies,” says Costa of the role. “I love it, as it’s so out of my comfort zone and a part I’ve always wanted to play. Stacee Jaxx is so different to how I am normally that it will be fun to explore that kind of character.

“He’s a cocky rock star, determined to go solo from his band, a womaniser and very full of himself!”

Lucas Rush as Lonny and Kevin Kennedy as Dennis. Pic: Richard Davenport

Kevin Kennedy, best known as Coronation Street’s Curly Watts, is playing Dennis, the aged rocker and owner of the Bourbon Room – which is threatened with being bulldozed by German property developer Hertz who is intent on bribing the mayor, buying up the Strip and knocking it down to make clean, efficient living quarters.

Edinburgh MGA Academy alumni Rhiannon Chesterman will be playing Regina, the seemingly uptight metropolitan advisor to the mayor who reveals she once followed the Grateful Dead for six months – and lets down her hair to fight the proposed demolition.

Singer turned actress Zoe Birkett, who was Alexandra Burke’s understudy the last time The Bodyguard played town, will be playing Justice, the owner of the “exotic” dance club where Sherrie ends up. While Vas Constanti will play Hertz with Andrew Carthy as his son Franz.

The tour continues until August.

Listings and links

Rock of Ages
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014.
Tuesday 30 April – Saturday 4 May 2019
Evenings: 7.30pm, matinees Weds, Sat: 2.30pm
Tickets and details: Book here.

Zoe Birkett as Justice with the Rock of Ages Company. Pic Richard Davenport

ENDS

Tags: Andrew Carthy, Antony Costa, Jodie Steele, Kevin Kennedy, Lucas Rush, Luke Walsh, Playhouse, Preview, Rhiannon Chesterman, Rock of Ages, Vas Constanti, Zoe Birkett