Based on Roddy Doyles novel of the same name, The Commitments is a 1991 film that defied all expectations and has since been voted the best Irish film of all time. The films success is undoubtedly partially due to the casting process, with an emphasis placed on musical rather than acting ability; some of the original cast members still perform together globally in a soul revue now, which attests to their talent and chemistry together. With a plot based around the formation and conflicts of an Irish soul band, music is obviously an essential part of the concept. However, Roddy Doyle has recently (and perhaps controversially) admitted that the reason its taken 25 years for the story to reach the stage is that he thought he didnt like musicals. The essential thing to remember is that films and musicals are very different genres: each have their own fields of possibilities and limitations, and of course the live nature of the latter adds an extra exciting element. With The Commitments taking over the Palace theatre in the West End in September as well as the hype around Onces successful transition, there is a lot of interest circulating around the musical world at the moment, making it a perfect time to wonder what other movie musicals we want to see on stage in the future. A transition that has already been successful for The Producers and Footloose among others, theres no reason we cant milk more films for the same purpose...