GOOD VIBRATIONS PLAY HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES

New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers – but Belfast has the reason’ roared Terri Hooley. He’s onstage at The Ulster Hall as his city burns and his home life falls apart. ‘I didn’t think anyone would remember our stories’ he explains 40 years later, a mile or so up the road, lapping up a standing ovation at opening night for a musical about his life.

‘Good Vibrations’ – the movie, was – you will remember – a huge hit. Infinite soul, just the right amount of sentimentality and a killer soundtrack. This stage version – running for the next four weeks at The Lyric – is a revelation in equal measure, similarly special and utterly unmissable.

It starts with Terry getting his ‘i’, after a cowboy half blinds him in his back garden. It ends with him hollering solo as the cast abandon him and the stage hands begin to tidy up.

Inbetween, there’s hope, drama, aggression, heartache and joy. There’s also those songs – from Rudi, The Outcasts and – of course The Undertones, alongside The Shangri-las and Hank Williams. All of them performed live by an ensemble cast whizzing about the stage, swapping roles, swapping instruments.

Aaron Mccusker – who we recognise from Shameless and the like – is an incredible lead. You hang on his every word, even when Terri’s stories start to ramble and repeat themselves. Niamh Perry – who has form on the big stage – breaks your heart as his long suffering wife. Sean Kearns – a veteran of the stage and screen attempts to steal the show as Terri’s dad, before getting the biggest cheer of the evening doing his best John Peel impersonation.

Happily, the relative rookies – folk we know primarily for their musical exploits over the years – are superb. We see Connor Burnside (brother of Joshua) battering a drumkit one moment, Terri the next. And Katie Richardson, who holds it all together as onstage musical director, acting and singing almost constantly.

In fact, each of the dozen or so actors contribute a great deal. Clever – and bewilderingly fast production allows them to play multiple parts – sometimes within the same scene. To see the whole thing go off without a hint of a hitch – on opening night – is testament to the cast’s belief in this production – and again – that brilliant story.

Oh – and crucially – it’s completely watchable, from start to finish. ‘Good Vibrations is a play with music’ – that’s what we were told – the writers

(Colin Carberry and Glenn

Patterson – who also wrote the movie) perhaps keen to reassure us this show isn’t full of Lloyd Webber–esque musical theatre – perhaps more jazz hands than punk rock. In fact – it takes the first word uttered (has four letters, first one is F) to clarify exactly what’s in store. Even the scenes of dancing in the Harp Bar are – thankfully – cringe-free.

That said, the huge, broad appeal is present and correct. Enough for thirty one busy shows over the next four weeks, I reckon – so I wouldn’t overthink getting a ticket. After that? A stint on the West End isn’t out of the question. After all, who doesn’t love an underdog? A little guy making the big stand? Even if he doesn’t always get his way….

Good Vibrations runs at The Lyric Theatre until October 6th.