The music of The Small Faces heads to Brighton

Following a launch reception on July 10, the show will then raise money over the week for local charities and personal causes. Daily bucket fund-raising will see donations given successively to: Brightona, Martlets Hospice, Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Teenage Cancer Trust and The Starr Trust.

Behind it all is award-winning actress Carol Harrison’s passion for The Small Faces.

After trying out the musical in Worthing a couple of years ago, she has seen the show soar.

The piece tells the electrifying but bittersweet tale of Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott, four charismatic young kids from east London, lads with humour, attitude, passion and above all talent.

They became The Small Faces and were rocketed into the big time only to discover the path to success is paved with exploitation, betrayal and ultimately tragedy, as Carol explains. Half a century later, only Jones is left alive… but the music lives on.

“I reckon they are the most unsung band of the 1960s,” says Carol who appears in the show as Steve’s mum Kay Marriott. “Their musical legacy is just incredible.

“The general public might not know the songs are theirs, but they will know the songs.

“And they were so highly regarded by other musicians who have based themselves on The Small Faces, people like Paul Weller.

“They were the first and most iconic mod band. I am into the mod scene, and I just love the whole culture, and that was part of what I wanted to celebrate.

“They are the band that best represents that. The Who were made into mods, but they were not mods to begin with. The Small Faces were mods from the start.

“I grew up in the 1960s, and it was the most incredibly-exciting time. Everything was new and exciting and radical, and as a teenager, it was just great to be alive.

“There was just so much happening, and The Small Faces’ story is the most iconic rock ‘n’ roll story you can have.

“They were huge and had a huge following and still have. But it is the archetypal rock ‘n’ roll story. They made albums and sold lots of albums but didn’t get their royalties until after two of them had died.”

As for frontman Marriott, Carol says: “I think he was the most amazingly-charismatic character, one of the greatest voices that this country has ever brought out.

“The show reflects their years of fame.”

And that means the musical is packed full of all the great Small Faces hits, including Whatcha Gonna Do About It, Tin Soldier, Lazy Sunday, Here Comes the Nice and Itchycoo Park.

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