I have to admit to entering the performance with some apprehension: L5Y is not a show that can be "pulled off": with only two actors on stage mistakes cannot be disguised. Thankfully, my fears were allayed from the very opening. Rachel Parris' rendition of 'Still Hurting' had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end in 15 seconds flat. She conveyed an incredible amount of emotion, whilst still maintaining a convincing mezzo line. Equally, her audition sequence had the audience in fits of laughter and her role in ‘The next ten minutes’ was well played. Sadly some of the less emotionally charged songs lacked direction, and I must admit her lack of diction grated on me somewhat but overall it was a very well played role.
Having seen Luke Daking in Honk!, I was frankly amazed at the transformation from the lovable, bumbling Drake into self-assured, confident Jamie. Clearly he is an actor with an ability to play a great variety of roles. I have to admit that it was surprising that despite hitting some of the higher notes in his part with ease, some of the less challenging pieces were decidedly flat and it was unfortunate that his otherwise fantastic rendition of ‘Moving too fast’ was performed with a single facial expression throughout, but it goes without saying that his best performances in the show were something quite special.
Clearly a lot of work has gone into making such a polished performance of a technically difficult show, and mention must go to the director and the MD (who was great fun to watch as he danced his piano part as much as he played it!)
Well worth seeing!
Bex, 05/06/08
Amy Cooke-Hodgson chooses the perfect piece to bring out the full story-telling potential of the Old Fire Station; the black studio is given the air of a downtown Manhattan off-Broadway theatre by the sharp phrasing of this exciting new musical.
The crisp up-tempo score suits this cast vocally and the musical direction of Peter Wilson offers strings and keyboard accompaniment that complements the action so accurately that at times this musical scans like a play. Pie Ramsey’s sparse lighting design catches the ephemeral scene so accurately the stage fills with emotion.
The actors fit their super-sized roles superbly. Luke Daking as blockbusting young novelist Jamie cuts the mustard with an assured swagger. His scene on a bar stool swigging a ‘Bud’ unleashing much pent up frustration about the trouble with marriage is particularly strong. Rachel Parris has fine beauty in her voice, expressively clear eyes and an acting style that is not in the least bit self-aware. This equips Parris to portray Jamie’s wife, the struggling actress Cathy who tries to make the best of her dismal theatre tour of Ohio. Jamie accuses Cathy of baulking at the strain of her career being harder than she thought when Cathy refuses to go to Jamie’s book launch. Cathy explains her reasons for being unsupportive quite differently. She does not want to be ‘trailing on the genius’s heels’.
Intrigue arises from the ingenious plot format; two perspectives are being told from different points in time. Cathy begins her tale from the point of the couple’s break up and walks onto the set, which is the couple’s New York apartment, wearing her husband’s jumper and a cardboard box to put her belongings in. Hotshot Jamie kicks off by firing rounds of mobile phone calls to prospective literary agents and wallowing in the heady ecstasy of falling in love with Cathy. The stories intersect only on their wedding day.Another key moment is the Christmas where Jamie presents Cathy with a watch encouraging her to take all the time she needs to follow her dream. In spite of this warm life-affirming gesture there is a pervasive desolate feel to the proceedings making the action fascinating to watch.
Director Cooke-Hodgson needs to be afforded full credit for giving this precious quality to the production. A stand-alone musical comedy number is Cathy trekking through the cattle market of auditions, getting up at 6am to queue alongside younger and thinner girls who have already been to the gym and wondering, ‘why does the pianist hate me?’ then ‘why did I wear these shoes?’ Be one of the first to see this show before its cult status becomes official.
Lita Doolan, 04/06/08
Preview:
The Last Five Years tells the story of a troubled relationship between Jewish novelist Jamie Wellerstein and struggling actress Cathy Hiatt. The added twist to the narrative is that the two characters start and end the musical from opposite ends of the five-year timeline, so whilst one re-lives the last five years in a forwards direction, the other does so in reverse. This makes for some very poignant juxtapositions as moments of sorrow and hope come together in song.
The piece is musically interesting, set to a pleasantly edgy score for piano and strings (composed by Jason Robert Brown), and it provides a challenging task for Maple Giant. The company pulls it off, however - the cast are confident and assertive, both singers being more than able to carry the numbers, and the writing for just two lead parts fits in naturally with the company's minimalist aesthetic. The characterisations particularly come to life as Jamie (Luke Daking) and Cathy (Rachel Parris) meet in duet. The actors taunt each other with sarcasm and capture the unease in the relationship as well as the infatuation, and it is this dialectic which provides the driving force for the story.
Pianist Peter Wilson deserves a special mention for his confident handling of a challenging piano part. Having only been to a six-song press preview it will be interesting to see how the momentum is maintained through a full-length showing with just the two characters, but the mixture of comedy and pathos is well balanced to maintain interest and it looks to be a musical well worth seeing.
James Rome, 27/05/08
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