Local history

When you mention Quadrophenia - be it the double LP from 1973 or the film from 1979 - most people will think of it as a project by The Who and their songwriter Pete Townshend.

But, in the film at least, Newark author Alan Fletcher had quite an influence.

Mods in Nottingham in front of the council house

The local Mod

He's the author of the Mod Crop trilogy which was published in the 1990s. The books charted the tales of Nottinghamshire mods and trips to Skegness.

The story ideas had been in Fletcher's mind for decades.

"It was based on my time in Newark and Nottingham in the 60s. I wanted to put Mods straight because the tragedy of Mod is that everybody thinks it's a beach fight and it was far from that.

"Ninety nine percent of the kids were just involved in it for the music and the scooters."

Seaside trips

Brummell's Last Riff, the first in the trilogy, looks at lads growing up in the 1960s and the peer pressure they come under with the explosion of new music and the scooter craze.

"The book centres on the Bank Holiday weekend of August 1965 when three kids go out and meet up with the rest of the people on the coast (Skegness)," says Alan.

"They get up to hi-jinx then have to come back to their normal working day lives, as we all did in the 60s. You needed to work in the 60s to fund the lifestyle."

Book sleeve of Quadrophenia by Alan Flecther

Quadrophenia

Alan's story does sound remarkably similar to the version by The Who. With the success of their record, the band decided to make a film of their tale of disillusioned Jimmy Cooper.

It's at this point that the worlds of Alan Fletcher and Pete Townshend collide in a positive way.

"I came into the Quadrophenia film project having written the story of the Mods in the 60s called Two Stroke Sonata (a fore-runner of Brummell's Last Riff).

"That started its life as a film script. I sent it down to Townshend. I knew they were into films and asked if he wanted to produce it.

"I put a PS on the bottom of the letter saying I could do a script for Quadrophenia if you're interested.

"The rest is history. I put some of my storyline into it and I got a credit as a story consultant on the film. I also wrote the novel that tied in with it."

A new musical

The tale has come full circle with Alan and colleague Steve Wallis turning the Mod Crop trilogy into a musical featuring songs from the 1960s. It's due to premiere at Nottingham's Theatre Royal in the summer of 2009.

Mod stage shows

Mod Crop the Musical is at Nottingham's Theatre Royal between Tuesday 9 June and Saturday 13 June 2009.

Quadrophenia the Musical is at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall between Tuesday 11 August and Saturday 15 August 2009. Ticket details on 0115 989 5555.