Mods and rockers are drawing their battle lines again, as Quadrophenia rocks in. Emma Pinch discovers the trials of staging this complex work

EVERY Tuesday and Saturday, actor Ryan O’Donnell looks out over a sea of Parker coats and skinheads.

Whenever it opens in a new town, Pete Townshend’s cult rock opera, Quadrophenia, has had theatres packed to the rafters with Who fans.

But younger theatre-goers, says Ryan, who plays one of four incarnations of the lead character, have been lost in a cloud of Lambretta smoke.

Ryan, “Romantic” Jimmy, has been busy re-rehearsing with the rest of the young cast during a week that had been pencilled in as a break.

“All the old school Mods are coming for the music,” he explains. “But young people were saying they were thoroughly entertained, but just didn’t understand it.”

Jeff Young and Tom Critchley’s stage adaptation of Townshend’s complex work requires all four Jimmysto be on stage at the same time.

“We had physical twitches to distinguish each of us, which was working to some extent. But people were hazy as to whether these boys were one person or a gang of people.

“It’s confusing to us onstage, so I’m not surprised it was confusing to the audience,” he smiles. “You’ll never be bored. I think that was the problem – there was just too much to watch.”

The story, based on an insert on the original album cover, follows the fortunes of London teenager Jimmy, who is desperate to escape the confines of family and petty convention and is loosely based on the experiences of Townshend. Lunatic Jimmy, Hypocrite Jimmy, Tough-Guy Jimmy and Romantic Jimmy make up facets of his personality.

“It’s the first time teenagers ever kicked back against society,” explains Ryan, who is from Halifax.

“So he gets his drugs and goes down to Brighton and discovers where he belongs in society and his identity as well.”

Unlike the wave of other musicals based on albums and lightly threaded with plot lines – Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You, Dolly, Take That, the list goes on and on – Pete Townshend’s purist production employs just song lyrics to tell the story, and not dialogue.

It was a characterisation test for the cast to get their teeth into.

“It has such a strong cult heritage, we couldn’t afford to crowbar in any arty movements,” explains Ryan.

“ So, we just have to rely on honest gesture and embodying that era, and telling the story as much as you can with your eyes and your heart.

“ It sounds drippy, but you’ve got to mean what you are saying if you want the audience to understand.”