Hit Me:The Life & Rhymes of Ian Dury ***
This article was first published on tntonline.co.uk on Friday 23 January 2009

Even from beyond the grave, Ian Dury is causing controversy thanks to Jeff Merrifield’s account of the man who found as many reasons to be angry as to be cheerful, but didn’t let the legacy of his childhood polio stand in the way of becoming a punk icon.
But it’s hardly Dury’s fault (he died of cancer in 2000) that the actor who successfully played him in Edinburgh and on the fringe refused to work with a revised script and was replaced at the last minute. Thankfully, Adrian Schiller has had enough time to do his homework and gives a more than creditable performance in this warts (and there are a lot of them) and all look at the life of the lyricist and vocalist who wasn’t afraid to offend and whose Spasticus Autisticus was banned by the BBC.
Whilst lauding his talents, it doesn’t shy away from the less likeable aspects of Dury’s character – too much drink, too many women and an uncontrollable temper — but, frustratingly, whilst the mundane, expletive-filled dialogue comes across crystal clear, the sound system frequently drowns out the lyrics which made his name.
Told partly from the view point of his ex-jailbird minder, Fred “Spider” Rowe (who resorted to hiding Dury’s leg iron to keep him under control) this two-hander — even without the appearance of the backing group, The Blockheads — will serve as a welcome walk down memory lane for ageing fans who were around in his heyday, and give younger generations some insight into the appeal of this charismatic performer and his distinctive rasping voice.

Leicester Square Theatre, Leicester Place, WC2 (0844 847 2475) until February 14, £25 – £20