This thoroughly entertaining rock musical with its dramatic score and fascinating storyline, has been thrilling theatre goers for years and is just as relevant today as when it was first produced.

Whilst dealing with some dark themes, there are moments of hope and triumph so audiences are uplifted as well as moved. At its heart, the story celebrates family, forgiveness, resilience, and ultimately the extraordinary power of healing.

The story of Tommy is timeless. The artistic vision of our production is a simplicity of set, costumes and props with the use of inspirational projection and lighting to complement and enhance the piece, with an emphasis on the cast to bring the characters to life through the wonderful music. This production of Tommy exists outside the bounds of a specific time or place.

Our production has a cast of 18 performers and a live band and promises to be a one-of a-kind theatrical event.

Plot Summary

An unknown place and time. It could be the past, the present or the future.

Act 1: Captain Walker is captured during the war, and declared missing in action, leaving his wife to raise their son, Tommy. Walker unexpectedly returns years later, finds his wife with another man and kills him. This is witnessed by four-year old Tommy who experiences a psychosomatic shutdown. Tommy is unable to hear, see or speak. As he grows, he is constantly tested by doctors and specialists and endures abuse from relatives like Uncle Ernie and Cousin Kevin and strange healers like the Acid Queen. Tommy finds solace in pinball for which he has an uncanny talent. Tommy becomes a local sensation, staring eternally into his own reflection, sensing a ‘Mirror Boy’ version of his potential self.

Act 2: Tommy reaches adulthood as a world-famous pinball champion. Racked by guilt and desperate for a cure, Mrs Walker smashes Tommy's mirror in a fit of rage and Tommy’s senses miraculously return. He is instantly hailed as a messianic ‘Pinball Wizard’. He gains a massive following, including super fan Sally Simpson, who is injured while trying to reach him on stage. Seeing her pain and the greed of those around him, Tommy rejects his celebrity status and the commercialism involved. Returning to his family, he forgives his parents and teaches his followers that the power to heal and experience the world lies within themselves, not in a leader.

EDI Assessment

In line with our EDI policy, we undertake an EDI impact assessment of all our artistic programming. The Who's 'Tommy' tells the story of the turbulent life of Tommy Walker, who witnesses a traumatic event in his childhood and consequently suffers loss of hearing, sight and speech. The play deals with some dark themes such as bullying and abuse.  It involves a large ensemble cast with significant flexibility over playing ages, gender identity, and complete neutrality on race/ethnicity. For the purposes of the narrative, certain characters will be specified as needing to be female- or male- presenting.