Summary
A new wave musical set in 1980s Dublin, based on the hit film. A group of teenagers form a band to escape their troubles and find their voice.
Saturday, August 16, 2025 Aug 16, 2025
Summary Set in Dublin during the 1980s economic recession, this musical follows teenager Conor Lawlor who, after being moved to a rough new school, spontaneously starts a band to escape his strained family life and impress a mysterious girl. As Conor and his friends write original songs inspired by the New Wave bands of the era, their scrappy project becomes a powerful vehicle for self-discovery, first love, and rebellion against the world around them.
A feel-good coming-of-age musical about an Irish schoolboy band that’s just so unfailingly, arrestingly charming that sometimes it succeeds in spite of itself.
The self-serious critic in my brain had no trouble picking out some flaws with “Sing Street”: some of the plot points are underdeveloped, the rest are too easy to anticipate, the video projection (while relevant in the show’s MTV VJ era setting) feels a bit cheap, and some of the songs not performed by the titular band feel like filler.
But I spent most of the runtime grinning like an idiot and tapping my feet, and I was far from the only one. I had the distinct pleasure of sitting next to the mother of lead Sheridan Townsley, and her joy was infectious. (She knew every word to every song.) These kids put on such a fun show. And they play the instruments, too! I’m a sucker for that. Please transfer to New York!