A play with live music telling the extraordinary story of rock 'n' roll icon Wilko Johnson, from his cancer diagnosis to his miraculous recovery.
Wilko: Love And Death And Rock âNâ Roll comes to the York Theatre Royal from 10 to 12 September, a three-day run in the Main House. It's a play with live music that tells the story of Wilko Johnson, the rock 'n' roll icon and founder of the Essex band Dr Feelgood.
If you're not familiar with the name, Dr Feelgood were a huge part of the pub-rock scene in the seventies, and Johnson was the face of it â a distinctive, choppy guitar style and a stage presence that was hard to look away from. The play focuses on a later chapter of his life: in 2012, he was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and given a year to live. He turned down treatment and decided to spend his remaining time reconnecting with the people and places that had defined his life, right up until a miracle happened. It's as much about that decision and the time that followed as it is about the music.
It's not a new production, and it's had a fair bit of a run before reaching York. It premiered at Queenâs Theatre Hornchurch in 2024, then played at Southwark Playhouse and in Londonâs West End. The reviews have been strong: the Daily Mirror called it 'gloriously raw', and Reviews Hub described it as 'intoxicating⊠strikingly poignant', with a 'stonking star turn' by Johnson Willis. The live music is built right into the show, so it's less a biography and more a performance that brings the sound of Dr Feelgood back into the room.
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It runs for three days at the York Theatre Royal from 10 to 12 September, in the Main House. If you've got a soft spot for pub rock or just a good story about someone refusing to go quietly, this is one to keep on your radar.
