A Musical With More Than Just "A Little Life" - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Review

 

To a casual observer, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is only known for being a film starring Brad Pitt, with it being common knowledge before this it was a tale composed by F Scott Fitzgerald (author of The Great Gatsby), and never would you think it had the content to make a musical, and one that has an amazing amount of heart and soul. 

I shared the sentiment, until I took a trip to see it in London after hearing from many reputable theatre reviewers and bloggers that it was an absolute must see. I was curious to see how they would stage the story, given the plot is around a character that ages backwards. Would this be a role that was split between actors? Would there be special make up / costume effects that disguised the same actor as the story progressed?

I won't spoil it for anybody that does want to take a trip down to see it, but what I will say is that it was done in a way that makes you marvel the sheer talent of people in the theatre business, because it was done so simply, you didn't even really notice the changes, however you still could see the evidence of the passage of time, albeit in reverse. 

What was so wonderful about this musical was the western country style of music that flavoured the soundtrack. You also had the cast, chorus and ensemble all playing instruments, making up the orchestra as well as multiple characters that featured in Benjamin Button's life. This not only gave this piece of theatre a soul you rarely find in any other musical, but it gave a centre stage to the instruments and the people that play them in a way I think a lot of theatre shows are now implementing, but in a way that fit in with the setting and story they were all trying to tell. 

It feels hard to pick out a favourite moment, but I loved the comradery and community spirit that lived in songs such as "When E're She Looked At Me", and the darkness and tragedy that seeped through every word in songs such as "The Kraken's Lullaby". I also felt really inspired and roused by the song "A Little Life", which I think was a teaching moment reminding us that no matter how short or long our lives are, it's important to pack them full of life and love. 

The love story between Benjamin and Elowen was beautifully told as well, and their initial meeting was a wholesome and organic part of the story that I wished was more true of real life today. You just couldn't not root for them to be together and grow in the way that time permitted them to. I always think for a love story to work, whether it's a play or a musical theatre production, you have to have a degree of likability towards both of the characters, otherwise it is just so easy to lose interest in the story and not care what happens to one or both parties. Luckily, the characters were just instantly likeable from the word go, and this was helped in part by the talents of John Dagleish and Phillipa Hogg, a fantastic Benjamin and Elowen.

I don't know how long this musical will be around for, but I hope it continues to find a home even if / when it leaves the West End. The staging, sound effects, and lighting all helped create the real Cornish atmosphere it was trying to replicate, as this was where the story was set for this particular version of the tale. I think this made it even more relatable than had it been set in America, and therefore you could connect to the characters a lot more. There were heartbreaking and gut-wrenching moments, as there is in life in unfortunately, but there were far more comedic and light hearted moments, and by the end, despite the show being 2+ hours long, you came away feeling like you had genuinely seen someone's entire life flash before your eyes. How many shows can you say that about? 

Overall, I went in without knowing a thing about this production and I came out with a new spring in my step, determined to enjoy life. If you enjoy shows where the ensemble is a main character in and of itself, where the music gets your toes tapping and your heart singing, and a love story that literally transcends the physical properties of time, this is 100 percent the musical for you.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hadestown - A "Hellishly" Good Time - A Review

 To a casual observer, theatre shows about mythology are few and far between, and maybe for good reason. If it's not in the bible, or a new take on an existing classic film/novel, a lot of the really good and tragic tales that have come from cultures all over the world are not easy to convince an audience to see on stage without that prior knowledge.

Hadestown is a musical based on the Greek mythology around Eurydice and Orpheus, two star-crossed lovers that are separated when Eurydice ends up in the underworld, a kingdom that is famously ruled by Hades. Orpheus, having fallen in love with Eurydice, attempts to rescue her. 

There was a lot about this musical that impressed me straight off the bat, such as the musical score, the staging, and the sheer talent of the cast. With such strong leads such as Melanie La Barrie, Rachel Tucker, and Trevor Dion Nicholas to name but a few, the production was never going to fall flat musically, and indeed each of them gave powerful performances that never failed to evoke an emotion to some degree. I was also particularly impressed by the women who played the Fates, namely Bella Brown, Francesca Daniella-Baker, Lauren Azania, as their harmonies were just outstanding. 

I think the volume of the music did drown out a little some of the lyrics that were being sung to narrate the story, so I did lose a little bit of the story from the first act, and that maybe was why narrative wise I wasn't completely sure who was what, and what was going on. I did manage to pick it up and the second half was a lot stronger narrative wise. 

Not all of the songs I'd say are particularly gripping or memorable, but the ones that were, stay with you long after you are home for the evening. "Wait For Me" in particular was a personal favourite, and it is a fan favourite as well if you know anything about musical theatre fandom, but I also enjoyed "Why We Build the Wall", which I thought had some powerful lines that represented the rich vs poor culture we see even to this day.  

The turntable is a particularly favourite tool of mine that is used in a lot of productions, Hamilton probably being the most notable in recent years. I really liked its use in scenes when any of the characters had to undertake a journey, as with the combined low lighting and gentle accompanying music, it was very easy to feel like they were really walking a great distance, and not just following the movement of the turntable. 

I do love as well that it is becoming more and more of a thing to have the orchestra become part of the cast, and be present on stage. Not only does it bolster the sound, but it is also really lovely to see the faces behind those that help produce the scores and sounds that bring life to the stories that are told within the walls of our favourite theatre. 

I think it is important to continue to acknowledge in theatre the key roles orchestras, sound engineers, lighting and technology specialists, as well as costume designers, hair and make up specialists, amongst so many other jobs behind the scenes, play in helping sell a story to its audience. 

I do feel Hadestown was slightly overhyped but what it was, but I do have to commend it on it being something different, whilst also remaining respectful to the origins of the tale. The talent of the cast and crew is second to none, and I think there is a lot for audiences to enjoy, even if you aren't familiar with Greek mythology. 

I do also think that Madeline Charlemagne and Dylan Wood, who played Eurydice and Orpheus respectively, also were extremely talented and hopefully have even further to go in the world of musical theatre, as they gave dynamic performances and commanded the stage in their own ways, and just worked really well together as well.

Overall, a really enjoyable show, and a good piece of theatre which entertains and educates about the power of love, but at the same time cautions against the cost one can occur from a broken promise and contract. 

⭐⭐⭐