ONE DAY THE MUSICAL

Royal Lyceum Theatre

★★★★

“a beautiful piece of theatre”

Headlining the Edinburgh musical theatre scene this season is the musical adaptation of One Day making its world premier at The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. With a stellar cast led by Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose, this new adaptation of David Nicholls’ book is directed by Max Webster and, like many new shows of its type, begs the question: does everything need to be made into a musical?

One Day is a story about Em and Dex set over, you guessed it, one day. Across many years, that is. We first meet Em and Dex the day they graduate from university in, fittingly, Edinburgh on St Swithin’s Day 1988. Over the next couple of hours we follow these two characters through the trials and tribulations of their lives up until 2007. The plot weaves a delicious ‘will they won’t they’ relationship with beautiful moments of friendship and missed chances peppered throughout. If you don’t know the ending already I shan’t spoil it for you, but suffice to say make sure you pack your tissues.

The first thing you notice as you walk into the Lyceum is that they’ve completely done away with the stalls to create a bespoke, in-the-round setting. Audiences sit on the stage, as well as in a new seating bank facing out into the traditional auditorium. The staging is genius, and in a show all about human connection and the importance of living our lives to the fullest, Max Webster’s direction and Rae Smith’s set do a perfect job of inviting us in to share this story. The design elements across the board are excellent. Bruno Poet’s lighting design is dazzling; it at times paints a beautifully intimate portrait of two tethered souls and at others reaches out to fill the entire auditorium and make us part of the story. The retro costumes, ranging from almost painfully nostalgic 80’s hairstyles to 90’s Backstreet Boys style ‘cool’, are expertly crafted by Rae Smith. Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s choreography perfectly balances its effectiveness with its necessity; the ensemble are strong, and their movements carefully designed to enhance the emotions of the lead characters.

Sharon Rose and Jamie Muscato (sounding and looking almost uncannily like Hugh Grant in his Notting Hill era) portray an effortless, enchanting chemistry which is the bedrock of this show. While both employ soaring vocals throughout, it is their honest and heartfelt acting that win us over. Miracle Chance provides an endlessly energetic portrayal of Em’s friend, Tilly and Dan Buckley is hilarious as Ian, Em’s comedian partner-turned-ex. Indeed, the whole show is punctuated with moments of hilarity, some clearly designed specifically to tickle the Scottish crowd. The cast are all helped along by the fact that the book for this show is excellent. David Greig, who is Edinburgh born himself, does a fantastic job of pulling apart the complexities of these characters and winding a narrative that justifies the heartbreak and catharsis we experience at the end of their story.

The problem for this musical, unfortunately, lies in its music and lyrics (Abner & Amanda Ramirez and Jeremy Sams). The lyrics often feel weak compared to the strength of the book writing. The music seems to sit at an unnaturally high pitch for some of the actors and feels disjointed from the tone of the rest of the show. There are moments of gold, of course, but for major musical adaptation one couldn’t help but feel let down that the music itself did not support many of the major emotional moments of the show.

One Day is a beautiful piece of theatre which is bound to offer a sense of connection to anyone who watches it. With stunning design and performances, it is a debut not to be missed. It has, however, rendered itself a musical whose strength does not lie in its music.

ONE DAY THE MUSICAL

Royal Lyceum Theatre

Reviewed on 11th March 2026

by Kathryn McQueen

Photography by Mihaela Bodlovic

ONE DAY

★★★★

“Hytner’s direction moves the action at a pace yet there is still time for reflection, and moments of humour too”

‘The Life and Death of King Richard II’, later shortened to “Richard II” is categorised as one of Shakespeare’s History Plays. Even though another early title reads ‘The Tragedie of King Richard the Second’. Tragedy or history, though, it bursts onto the stage as a modern-day thriller with Nicholas Hytner’s stirring interpretation. The story of a man whose symbol of power is of more concern to him than his duties has a chilling resonance today. Jonathan Bailey’s unpredictable ruler, however, is an eccentric soul, with a degree of vulnerability that draws our sympathy (so any comparisons to a contemporary world leader that might spring to mind are soon quashed).

Probably best known for his role in ‘Bridgerton’, Bailey returns to his theatrical roots, stepping into the role that follows some pretty impressive footsteps; John Gielgud, Paul Schofield, Ian McKellen, Timothy West, Derek Jacobi, Fiona Shaw, Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Ben Wishaw, Simon Russel Beale, David Tennant… Many a fine pair of shoes to fill, but Bailey slips into the role with ease.

Chronicling the monarch’s downfall, and the intrigues of his nobles – most notably Henry Bullingbrook (later King Henry IV) – the play spans the last two years of Richard’s life. The set is sparse, stark and by default unsettling and menacing – with the unpredictable air of a disused warehouse. We seem to be in a Netflix gangster land. Grant Olding’s sweeping music score sets the scenes, aided by Bruno Poet’s atmospheric lighting. Chandeliers dangle while minimal set pieces rise from the depths, around which men in black lead the dance with a swagger that ultimately trips and falls into tragedy, mourning and a kind of forgiveness.

Hytner’s direction moves the action at a pace yet there is still time for reflection, and moments of humour too. An overuse of dry ice hammers home the film-noir flavour, but otherwise everything is perfectly balanced. Violence gives way to psychological intrigue while the battlefields migrate into the courtroom. Bailey’s performance is undoubtedly the shining light, yet he casts no shadow over the supporting cast who all command the stage in their own way. Royce Pierreson’s Bullingbrook is a tour de force as he struggles to reconcile his need to usurp the throne with his reluctant empathy for a failing king. The first act ends with the two pitching against each other, Bullingbrook armed with a massive cannon while Richard watches from the gallery, dressed in white. The second act ends incredibly poignantly as Bullingbrook gains little comfort from his victory while Richard’s body lies on a hospital gurney, now in black.

In a play where ally can become traitor, and vice versa, at the drop of a hat, the entire cast showers clarity onto Shakespeare’s verse, coupled with powerful emotion. Martin Carroll, who has stepped into the role, gives a wonderful poignancy to John of Gaunt who is desperate for his dying words not to be spoken in vain. But in true Shakespearian fashion, little can be done to halt the wheels of tragedy’s course. And the beauty of the staging leads to us, the audience, being made to feel somehow complicit in the action. Almost traitorous ourselves. It is an enthralling production that closes with an emotional power. A quiet, yet poignant punch, that leaves us quite breathless.

Tag Archives: Bruno Poet

ONE DAY THE MUSICAL

★★★★

Royal Lyceum Theatre

ONE DAY THE MUSICAL

Royal Lyceum Theatre

★★★★

“a beautiful piece of theatre”