THE STORY OF MY LIFE at the Stage Door Theatre

★★★★

“Hill’s dialogue and Bartram’s lyrics are full of eccentric humour, observations and paradoxes”

“The Story of My Life” wears its influences unashamedly on its sleeve, but at the same time has some gorgeous little tricks up those same sleeves. The opening number, ‘Write What You Know’, has more than a nod towards Stephen Sondheim, yet as the song list unfolds, Neil Bartram’s own individuality as a composer shines through. The musical numbers are the perfect accompaniment to Brian Hill’s book, that is intelligently and wittily crafted into an emotional tribute to friendship. The musical’s spirit is lifted straight from Frank Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, and it soars just as high. Truly, it’s a wonderful show.

Alvin (Tim Edwards) and Thomas (Markus Sodergren) are childhood friends. They became best friends in first grade, bonding over their respective Halloween costumes – Thomas as the Angel Clarence from Capra’s film and Alvin as the ghost of his mum. An indeterminate number of years later, Thomas – now a bestselling author – is trying unsuccessfully to write the eulogy for Alvin’s funeral. The ghost of Alvin appears, more of a distraction than a helping hand, but between them they pull books from the shelves behind them, picking out stories from their past and moulding them into the songs that beautifully evoke their friendship, and the forces that drew them together, then apart, and eventually together again posthumously.

Alvin is a bubble of energy, fascinated by the infinite quirks of the universe while remaining trapped within his own small world. Edwards brilliantly captures Alvin’s sheer ingenuous joy of life, that beats like a fragile wing unable to withstand the winds of fear and insecurity that push him over the edge. His is a complicated mix of neediness and loyalty that Edwards makes irresistibly endearing. Sodergren’s Thomas is more calculated but no less complicated. Breaking bonds and breaking away, his success as a writer throws him into denial. Not just for his true feelings, but also the fact that his literary triumphs are, in fact, literally stolen from his friend’s imagination. Sodergren perceptively chips away at his hard mantle, eventually acknowledging the debt he owes. Whether it is too late or not doesn’t matter; he melts our hearts anyway.

In fact, they both do. We laugh and we cry with them. Hill’s dialogue and Bartram’s lyrics are full of eccentric humour, observations and paradoxes. Occasionally verging on platitude, they are pulled back by the performances. Each song is seamlessly crafted into the text, drawing us in with a smile or a tear as we are swept from the underscore into the waves of emotion of each melody. Sometimes the line between leitmotif and repetition is blurred, but there are some stand out moments. ‘This Is It’ echoes the multiple meanings of the title phrase; its harmonies bringing the couple together. A rich counterpoint to ‘Saying Goodbye’ – parts one to four seen through different eyes. ‘The Butterfly’ is another stand-alone moment, quiet but strong and magnificently delivered. ‘1876’ adopts a lilting folksiness that conjures a young Tom Waits. Minus the gravelly voice, of course. Both Edwards and Sodergren have the vocal purity that can carry the emotive weight of the songs. Musical Director, Aaron Clingham, skilfully and sensitively guides them through the repertoire. They are often tricky numbers, but Clingham’s effortless piano – accompanied by Pippa Mason on cello and Becky Hughes on Clarinet and oboe – lift them into a floating and haunting score.

Designer David Shields’ setting is stark, simple and spot on. White books stacked on white bookcases feed the narrative as the actors plunder the shelves for their backstories. Robert McWhir’s intuitive direction allows the action to wander through the audience, drawing us further in still. Eventually we don’t mind that the ending is unresolved. We never get the full answers to the questions that this musical poses, yet we are filled with a sense of peace. It is quite a unique experience to be moved by something that isn’t being shouted from the rooftops.

Alvin talks about the ‘Butterfly Effect’ – the idea that the world is deeply interconnected, and that a small butterfly flapping its wings could, hypothetically, cause a typhoon somewhere else in the world. “The Story of My Life” is seemingly small-scale, yet it has a huge effect. And an even bigger heart. A real gem that needs no Guardian Angel to ensure its success.

THE STORY OF MY LIFE at the Stage Door Theatre

Reviewed on 13th September 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Peter Davies

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE TAILOR-MADE MAN | ★★★★ | May 2024

MARRY ME A LITTLE | ★★★ | March 2024

THE STORY OF MY LIFE

THE STORY OF MY LIFE

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