Wilko, Love Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll has, on paper, a lot in its favour. Its writer, Jonathan Maitland, wrote the hilarious parody of the former PM in The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, which was also directed by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart. Wilko Johnson was an iconic guitarist and songwriter from 1971 to 1977 for the band Dr Feelgood, often acclaimed as the Godfathers of Punk.
For those who saw them live—as I did with Wilko at Birmingham Odeon in September 1976, and later with his replacement on guitar, John ‘Gypie’ Mayo, at Dingwalls in Camden Lock in June 1978—it is a chance to relive their incredible energy and dynamism on stage, led by the mercurial and intense Lee Brilleaux, and enjoy the memory of their superb hit songs. Yet the play only truly takes off when they play those songs. As Wilko explains, it is a sort of “illustrated monologue” or play with music rather than a “jukebox musical”. There is a feel of verbatim theatre, relying on his words from his mouth rather than a well-constructed narrative.
Wilko, Love Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll starts in 2013 with Wilko learning he has pancreatic cancer, with a prognosis of just eight to twelve months, and deciding to forgo chemotherapy as he did not want to “feel like sh*t” for the rest of his life. It then goes back to his school days and proceeds in a linear fashion. As a result, it is thirty minutes in before the band forms, and we hear the first songs and see them develop their unique playing style.
Lee Brilleaux’s mesmeric vocals and mouth organ playing are beautifully captured by Jon House. David John portrays The Big Figure’s driving drum beat, and Georgina Field captures Sparko’s solid bassline and rocking back-and-forth stage presence. But the show depends on Johnson Willis capturing the unique guitar playing and startled eyes of Wilko Johnson. Although it feels like an affectionate imitation of his style, it never quite convinces, veering towards caricature. It is not helped when his Canvey Island accent sometimes sounds a bit like Kenneth Williams’ nasal delivery. When they play, it is good—but the emotional backstory of his abusive father, childhood sweetheart bride (played by Georgina Fairbanks), multiple affairs, his wife’s death in 2004 from cancer, and his own battle and “miracle cure” never fully emotionally engages. We long for the songs to be woven into the storytelling.
In Act One, we get the 1975 hits “Riot in Cell Block 9”, “She Does It Right”, and “Down by the Jetty” from their first album. In the second act, we get a glimpse of Wilko’s farewell concert in 2013 with “Johnny B. Goode”, before it imagines Lee Brilleaux and Wilko reforming to give us “Roxette”. They are then joined on stage for the press night by Wilko’s son, Simon, and the bass guitarist from Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Norman Watt-Roy, for “Going Back Home” (1976) and a reprise of “She Does It Right”. On other nights, there is the promise of Bob Geldof, Billy Bragg, John Cooper Clarke, and John Otway joining the encore, adding a more nostalgic glamour to the residency.
Wilko, Love Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll ends with a final moving rendition of “Route 66”, sending us off Back in the Night happy with the memories of this wonderful band and its brilliant co-founder Wilko Johnson (1947–2022). And with Dr Feelgood still performing with a completely new line-up around the world, it leaves you wondering whether you should book to see them when they return to the UK in August and October—and for a longer tour in 2026—to see a full set of this iconic music that Wilko helped create.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
