The daring adaptation is the result of a collaboration between Sadler’s Wells, Universal Music UK, Extended Play and Arts Council England. The show offers a bold reinterpretation of Townshend’s multi-million selling album, originally recorded by The Who and later adapted into the 1979 cult film of the same name.

The story centres around Jimmy, a young, disillusioned mod struggling with identity and alienation. In the new ballet adaptation, Jimmy is portrayed by dancer Paris Fitzpatrick. His personality is split into four aspects (quad) – The Romantic, The Lunatic, The Hypocrite, and The Tough Guy – each represented by separate dancers.

The ballet expands on Jimmy’s world, introducing his emotionally detached parents – whose tender ballroom duet emerges as one of the production’s most poignant moments. Familiar figures such as the Mod Girl and Ace Face return as central characters, with the narrative exploring identity, alienation, and the desperation to belong.

The musical score is based on an orchestral version of the original ‘Quadrophenia’ album. The arrangement was composed by Rachel Fuller, Pete Townshend’s wife. Originally debuted at the Royal Albert Hall and later recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Fuller’s arrangements lend an emotional richness to the performance, giving new life to classic tracks such as ‘Love Reign O’er Me’ and ‘The Real Me’.

Bringing this ambitious production to the stage are choreographer Paul Roberts and director Rob Ashford. Roberts, best known for his pop choreography with artists like The Spice Girls and Harry Styles, makes his ballet debut with ‘Quadrophenia’, while Ashford brings his musical theatre expertise to the staging. The production incorporates multiple dance styles and is described as a hybrid between ballet and contemporary dance, influenced by mod culture and theatrical performance.

Deemed by The Guardian as a “razor-sharp reboot of the Who’s rock opera”. ‘Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet’ is a bold reinvention of the classic album, honouring the original record while pushing artistic boundaries. With its striking visuals, emotionally charged choreography, and powerful music, the production offers a fresh and immersive way to experience Townshend’s timeless tale of youth, identity, and lost direction.

‘Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet’ opened on 24 June 2025 at Sadler’s Wells – tickets to the show can be accessed here.

Our recent coverage on The Who can be read here – as they fire and rehire dummer Zak Starkey

The songwriter and guitarist was speaking to Spanish radio station RockFM to promote the new ballet adaptation of The Who’s 1973 album ‘Quadrophenia’.

During the interview, which can be found below, Townshend revealed that there are “two things” that most musicians love doing, but don’t appeal to the rock legend: “One is they love performing. I don’t love performing. I don’t like being on stage. I don’t mind being on stage, I don’t hate it, but it doesn’t fill my soul.”

He went on to explain that he also does not enjoy collaborating with fellow musicians in the same way others do, saying he “finds it very difficult.”

Speaking of his dislike of collaborations, Townshend said: “If I was in the studio, like with a really, really great musician, or with a group of really great musicians, I think I would find it very hard. I often do find it very hard. I find it difficult to collaborate. I find it very difficult looking in the eyes of another musician. I find myself looking to my own energy to express myself.”

However, an exception to the rule is the new ballet that he was promoting. Hitting the stage this summer, ‘Quadrophenia’ will head to Plymouth, Edinburgh, Southampton, London and Salford. 

The guitarist revealed in the same interview that this is a different process of collaboration, compared to making music: “I admire the process of dance and music. Quadrophenia is currently being turned into a ballet. We had our first rehearsal on Monday. It’s gonna be fantastic.

“But I think one of the things about that is that kind of collaboration is an exploration of the human body, of dancing. With music, I find myself wanting to stay in my box for a while.”

Although he doesn’t have much interest in musical collaborations these days, Townshend did share in the same interview that there were two musicians he enjoyed working with back in the day.

Townshend revealed: “I loved working with David Gilmour on my White City album, and we co-wrote some songs.”

“And I really enjoyed working with Eric Clapton back in 1973 when we did the Rainbow Concert together. I think it’s interesting, cause so many new musicians that I really respect want to work with me, and I wish I was more open to it. I could have fun with some of the greatest musicians in the world.”

Tickets for the Quadrophenia ballet go on sale to the general public on July 5 and can be found here.

In other news relating to The Who, drummer Zak Starkey was recently fired before being rehired in a dramatic week for Ringo Starr’s son. Check out the mxdwn coverage here.

The so-called confusion came after a performance at the Teenage Cancer Trust shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall, during which frontman Roger Daltrey blamed Starkey for a miscued key change, telling the crowd that all he could hear was “boom, boom, boom”. The situation bubbled up earlier this week when the drummer took to Instagram to tell followers that he was about to “get the Zak”, adding that he was facing “formal charges of overplaying.” The band then made an official statement on 15 April confirming the 59-year-old had left the band. The decision was met with confusion by the wider music community, especially considering the various ties between Starkey and the band’s original drummer, Keith Moon. 

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Just as the ordeal seemed to come to an end, The Who did a U-Turn, reversing their earlier decision. Pete Townshend took to social media on 19 April, sharing a post which read “News Flash! Who Backs Zak!”. Less than three hours later, a full statement was released, clarifying the situation and telling fans “Zak is not being asked to step down from The Who,” and blaming the misunderstanding on a “breakdown of communication”.  

“There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,” the statement read. Penned by Townshend, he shared that the March shows had been “tricky” for him too, following a knee replacement surgery, and asked himself, “Why did I ever think I could land on my knees?”

Starkey’s contribution to the band was praised, and Townshend had confirmed that the drummer agreed to “tighten up his latest evolved drumming style” for shows that didn’t feature an orchestra alongside the band. Having worked together for three decades, the guitarist said, “We are a family. This blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It’s over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.”  

The full statement was shared on Zak Starkey’s own Instagram page, with the drummer adding his own message. “Very grateful to be part of The Who family. Thanks Roger and Pete xx”.

 

 

 

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Townshend also took the opportunity to address rumours that began to swirl regarding a replacement, with Roger Daltrey’s solo drummer, Scott Devours, being heavily linked with a seat behind the kit. He apologised to Devours for not rubbishing the rumours sooner, adding that the drummer “has been hurt by this” and was owed a long drink and a hug.

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 Despite the reconciliation, some fans on Reddit are sceptical about the reasons behind it. One user wrote “seems to me like Pete had to step in to resolve it after so much support for Zak.” Regardless, Starkey is set to pick up the sticks for The Who once again for their upcoming shows in Italy.

Insiders quoted by The Daily Mirror claim that the split hasn’t been as amicable as the statement suggests, and Starkey himself made reference to tensions in an Instagram post on 12 April. The drummer joked that he was set for the “Zak”, and that “formal charges of overplaying” were set to be brought against him. The post also seemed to place the blame squarely on frontman Roger Daltrey. In an earlier Instagram post, Starkey shared a photograph of himself and guitarist Pete Townshend saying “What a guy”. 

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Starkey had been playing with The Who since 1996, when he joined them as part of the touring band for a live concert version of their 1973 album, ‘Quadrophenia’. During his 29-year stint, Starkey contributed to two studio albums, ‘Endless Wire’ and ‘Who’, and was described as being the best fit for the band after Keith Moon’s passing by both Daltrey and Townshend. Moon was friends with Starkey’s father, Ringo Starr, and was also Zak Starkey’s godfather, so he felt like a natural fit when he joined the group.   

The split appears to have stemmed from an incident on stage at the Royal Albert Hall. During the show’s finale, Daltrey apparently stopped ‘The Song Is Over’ mid-performance, telling the band and the crowd “To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can’t. All I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can’t sing to that.” This account of events was backed up by an X user, who said “Daltrey missed the key change and blamed it on the drums. Now he’s fired Zak Starkey.”

The abrupt separation has caused confusion, particularly given Starkey’s prominence in the band. At nearly three decades, the 59-year-old had been part of The Who for twice as long as Moon, becoming part of the furniture. Not only was the quick dismissal surprising, but so were the accusations of “overplaying”. The Who had a reputation for being one of the 60’s loudest and most rebellious bands, almost proto-punk, and Keith Moon once set off an explosive charge in his kick drum while recording a TV show in 1967.  

No replacement has been named, and the rumour mill is relatively quiet. The band’s touring lineup has remained relatively stable, however they will need to find a replacement before their two shows in Italy this summer. Starkey will be kept busy with his group Mantra of the Cosmos, the supergroup featuring Shaun Ryder, Bez, and Andy Bell. The group played the Cavern Club earlier this year, and released a single co-written with Noel Gallagher. 

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 Starkey was also the drummer alongside Gallagher in Oasis, playing with the band between 2004 and 2009. With less than 100 days until their reunion tour kicks off, fans are already speculating about whether we could see Starkey reunite with the band this summer.

Speaking to The Sun, Townshend explained: 

“I am still developing the score and recording the music. I am also working on a documentary about the project, from its inception in 2007 until today. I’m probably two years off completing it, at which time I hope to perform it with a full opera and a cast of guest singers.”

The Age Of Anxiety, released in November 2019, explores the anxiety of modern life in a story that follows two generations of a London family, their lovers, collaborators, and friends. The lead protagonist is a young rock musician who has the ability to psychically connect to his audience, giving him access to a soundscape filled with their angst-riddled thoughts.

In 2008, when Townshend first conceived the idea, he aimed to reflect the thoughts and feelings of his own audience. In fact, many of his story’s characters are based on people he knows personally – the songwriter even drew inspiration from conversations with neighbours, exchanges which revealed to him an underlying sense of fear and anxiety apparent within the community. 

Since then, this paranoid mentality has only intensified. Through his The Age of Anxiety show, Townshend will delve into contemporary themes that dominate our zeitgeist, including the consequences of global warming, the threat of terrorism, and the adverse effects of social media, which contribute to a generation grappling with mental health challenges.

Townshend is, of course, widely acclaimed for his iconic concept albums with The Who, several of which come with accompanying feature films. Among his most celebrated works are Tommy, which tells the tale of a deaf-mute-blind boy who also happens to be a pinball prodigy, and Quadrophenia, which follows a young mod named Jimmy in his search for self-worth.

Listen to “Pinball Wizard” from Tommy below:

Meanwhile, The Who’s only other surviving member, lead singer Roger Daltrey, is reportedly progressing on his own passion project, a biopic about the group’s late drummer Keith Moon that has been in a state of limbo since 2005. In an interview with NME, Daltrey confirmed that he recently completed a script for the film and is determined to get it to the big screen.

Moon, who died from a drug overdose aged 32 in 1979, was notoriously self-destructive but also, according to Daltrey, “the funniest man [he] ever met”.

Watch Keith Moon’s infamous exploding drum set performance below:

The charity single has been released to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust, with all proceeds from vinyl sales and an undisclosed portion of digital downloads going towards the charity.

In a press statement for the new single, Townshend said, “The pandemic years were terrible for charities; the Teenage Cancer Trust was created in order to take the money from a series of concerts at the Albert Hall every year and various other things and that had all dropped out.”

He continued, “So, the idea of doing this, which is it’s something that has sprung out of Lockdown about mental illness, but also for this particular charity. If you’ve got a scenario in which somebody in your family or a teenager has got cancer, they’re being treated, Lockdown hits, and you’re not allowed to go and visit them. There’s a poignancy to the whole thing about the song.”

The track was composed and produced by Townshend’s partner, Rachel Fuller.

Speaking on how the track came to be created, Fuller said, “We’d just moved house and Pete was as happy as Larry up in his studio, working every day, and I put my back out, I was just climbing the walls, I couldn’t do any creative work and obviously, we couldn’t go anywhere, and I really started to think about how unbelievably difficult this period of time was going to be for so many people. I wrote lyrics and then I sat at the piano and wrote the music, and then I thought, ‘Oh, I really would like to record it, because it’s really not a bad song at all’ — and my singing days are long over. So, I asked Pete to record the demo.”

On working with his partner Rachel, Townshend said, “I’ve helped Rachel make the demos for several of her theatrical projects. She’s a really a fast worker. It’s not that you say to me, ‘Let’s go into the studio for two weeks and work on this project.’ We do it two hours later, or an hour later, it’s done — so it’s easy to work with her.”

“Can’t Outrun the Truth” was recorded in Townshend’s home studio in September 2021. Townshend sings on the track as well as playing violin and lap steel guitar on it for his first solo effort in almost 30 years.

Read more about Teenage Cancer Trust’s incredible fundraising efforts here.

Stream “Can’t Outrun the Truth” here.

Along with a duet of Wainwright’s own song “Factory,” off her self-titled 2005 debut album, the duo also performed a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”. Wainwright and Townshend have performed their own track a couple of times before, once in 2006 and again in 2007. For the latest rendition, Townshend took up guitar duties while Wainwright passionately sang through the verses. As they finished up the cover, Wainwright turned to the former Who guitarist to give a round of applause alongside the crowd. You can view the full performance below.

Mitchell’s 1969 ballad has been making its way back to the live circuit in the last few weeks, with the Canadian songstress herself performing the song at the Newport Folk Festival. It was a rare performance for Mitchell, given that she has been mostly retired from music since she suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015.

Meanwhile, Townshend’s most recent work includes a new single “Lay on, Take Off” and an Audible Original project, Somebody Saved Me. The project was the 29th in the platform’s “Words + Music” series that has previously featured the likes of Eddie Vedder, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tom Morello, James Taylor, and more. According to Billboard Townshend said, “it covers some material he’s discussed in the past, but that the opportunity to create a long-form podcast, in which he can weave his story in between poignant performances of some of his favourite solo songs, was what convinced him to participate.”

In announcing the tour the singer stated that he wishes to “Take the audience on a musical journey through my career as a singer, with a show of songs and sounds that explores and surprises” 

The singer started his musical career as part of the band and co-founder of The Who formed in 1964. The original lineup of the band included the singer (Singer/guitarist), Pete Townshend (Singer/ guitarist), Keith Moon (Drummer) and John Entwistle (Singer/bass guitarist).

Moon sadly passed away on September 7th 1978 and the 43rd anniversary of his death was yesterday. Entwistle also sadly passed away on June 27th 2002. Following the sad deaths of both Moon and Entwistle, the singer and Townshend have vowed to carry on the band and have both managed to pursue solo projects whilst remaining in the band. 

The Who are famed for their debut single “I Can’t Explain” (1965), as well as singles “My Generation” (1965), “Pinball Wizard” (1979) and “Who Are You” (1978). The song is also the theme tune for the main US Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) series.

The singer’s solo career began in 1973 and he has since recorded 10 solo studio albums with his last album being As Long As I Have You released in 2018. The singers hit singles include “Giving It All Away” (1973), “Written On The Wind” (1977), “Free Me” (1980) and “Without Your Love” (1980).

The singer expressed that he missed touring during the Covid 19 Pandemic and said “This pandemic has brought home to me what an important part of me singing is and it’s made me determined to get back onstage asap. See you soon!”

The singer has promised to involve his audiences during the tour. The singer expressed that he wishes to have closer contact with his audience and also said “I look forward to having closer contact with my audience than festivals and arenas allow. Leaving time to chat.”

The singer’s tour kicks off in Birmingham on November 7th and will see him performing throughout the UK. Tickets go on sale on September 10th at 09.00 am.

Tickets on sale 9.00am BST Friday 10 September. Details athttps://t.co/PnJNuspeYC pic.twitter.com/maaj3IpLVK

— The Who (@TheWho) September 8, 2021

See Roger Daltrey’s Tour dates below. Tickets are available here

07/11/21 Symphony Hall- Birmingham
09/11 O2 Apollo- Manchester
11/11 Royal Concert Hall- Nottingham
15/11 London Palladium- London
17/11 Brighton Centre- Brighton
19/11 Cliffs Pavilion- Southend-on-Sea
21/11 New Theatre- Oxford
24/11 SEC Armadillo- Glasgow
26/11 O2 City Hall- Newcastle
29/11 Empire Theatre- Liverpool
01/12 Portsmouth Guildhall- Portsmouth
02/12 Bournemouth International Centre- Bournemouth

The Who guitarist, Pete Townshend, has caused quite a stir by his admission of wanting to work with Roger Daltrey after lockdown. The 75-year-old classic rock legend has been in his home studio working on some songs he hopes to release. Townshend has made it clear that this release depends on whether it makes sense financially and has expressed his distain over revenue accumulated from live streams.

The band have had to cancel and reschedule their tour dates due to Covid, firstly rescheduling the UK and Ireland tour to this year but with the current Corona news the band will have to reschedule again or cancel entirely. Townshend spoke to Uncut about his new musical plans for the new album, “There’s pages and pages of draft lyrics,” he continues and states “If the moment comes, I’ll go in and start.”

The Who famed for their hit ‘My Generation’ released 1965 became the poster boys of the mod generation, which represented a youthful rebellion fuelled by music and fashion. The band would go on to write one of the first rock operas, ‘Tommy’ released 1969 which later became a film, and whose sixth studio album became one of the most famous films which documented mod culture, ‘Quadrophenia’ in 1973, making it also their second rock opera. The band would go on to be recognised on every influential band list made and were recently honoured at London’s UK Walk Of Fame. Townshend himself would go on to help solidify Marshall Amps as the reputable company that it is now.

The band’s last studio album entitled, ‘Who’ was released in 2019 to critical as well as commercial success, the album reached number three on the UK album chart and received some decent reviews, with most of the songs written by Townshend.

As for the latest instalment of The Who’s material, it looks like we will all have to wait until Lockdown is through to get our fix of Townshend and Daltrey.

Click here for the band’s backstage blog.

Tickets will go on sale Friday July 6^th for what has been dubbed ‘Who Hit’s 50’ as the godfathers of Rock ‘N’ Roll kick off their golden anniversary tour in November this year. Amongst other legendary rock bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, The Who have grown into antiquity after five decades of deserved fame with relentless hits pulling their music forward from generation to generation. Now their legacy is now believed to be heading towards its climactic end with the two remaining members talking about retirement.

“We are what we are, and extremely good at it, but we’re lucky to be alive and still touring, if I had enough hairs to split I would say that for 13 years since 1964 the Who didn’t really exist, so we are really only 37.” Said Townshend when reminiscing about his history with the band.

Since they grabbed the attention of the teenage youths back in the swinging sixties, The Who have always been iconic and had it not been for the tragic death of Keith Moon in 1978 and the more recent death of bassist John Entwistle in 2002 the four original lads could have rocked their fiftieth together. Now only Daltrey and Townshend to play together with an entourage of touring musicians.

The last album that The Who produced with all original members was their famous ‘Who Are You’ which was released the same year as Moon’s death. After which three more albums were recorded, but the most recent entitled ‘Endless Wire’ being released in 2006,  twenty-four years after ‘It’s Hard’ in 1982.

This pause in music history had a bleak beginning markedly due to the ‘Cincinnati Tragedy’ which occurred on December 3^rd 1979 where 11 fans were crushed during the sound check at the Riverfront Coleseum.  Daltrey took a break from the band to work on his acting career and after the release of ‘It’s Hard’ Townshend fallen into depression whilst dealing with the reality that maybe his legacy was coming to an end, leading to a brief heroin addiction.

After finally playing at the Live Aid concert in 1985 – considered to be their reunion – Kenny Jones had dropped from the band, leaving only Daltrey and Townshend to carry their torch to the finish line.

It is with much sadness that The Who have begun to comment on retirement, but all good things must come to an end. Their legacy will always remain and in no doubt inspire the ears and minds of aspiring musicians to come, but perhaps for the last time ever fans of the world-wide critically acclaimed godfathers of Rock can see them play, as the veterans of a bygone age play their 50^th anniversary tour this winter.

You can buy tickets for the gigs here.

Tour Venues:

Nov 30^th Glasgow SSE Hydro
Dec 2^nd Leeds First Direct Arena
Dec 5^th Nottingham Capital FM Arena
Dec 7^th Birmingham NIA
Dec 9^th Newcastle Metro Arena
Dec 11^th Liverpool Echo Arena
Dec 13^th Manchester Phones 4u Arena
Dec 15^th Cardiff Motorpoint
Dec 17^th London O2