Emma Lucia Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

Once

Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Reviewed – 9th January 2020

★★★★★

“The lovelorn numbers may be predominantly in the minor keys, but the show is a major triumph”

It is a popular genre at the moment: the list is vast, and still growing, of movies turned into musical stage shows. They are greeted with varying degrees of commercial and critical success, but once in a while a show stands out from the crowd. “Once” is one of those shows and it is simultaneously easy and hard to see why. Dispensing with the razzamatazz and big budget bombast it quietly charms with a simplicity that aims straight for the heart.

Based on John Carney’s film of the same name it features the music and lyrics of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. Carney and Hansard were both members of Irish band, The Frames, and the autobiographical slant (Hansard also spent many years busking on the streets of Dublin) lends an unforced authenticity to the evening. The unwavering quality of detail extends to all aspects of the production. From the outset Libby Watson’s brilliantly effective design draws us into a pub, somewhere in Dublin and somewhere in the last two decades of the twentieth century. It’s seemingly a lock-in and a ceilidh is in full swing. In a seamless shift from pre-show to show we find ourselves back out on the streets where Guy, a busker, stands alone with just a guitar and an emotionally charged, cracked voice. You’ve seen him, every hundred yards, along Grafton Street, in rain or shine, pouring more of his heart into his battered case than passers-by drop coins. A Czech woman (known simply as ‘Girl’) is captivated. She rescues him from his torpor and the ensuing ‘will-they-won’t-they’ romance is a delight. We have fallen in love with them way before we discover whether they will fall in love with each other.

Enda Walsh’s book shows him on top form, mixing quick-fire comic patois with pathos. Often in the same line. “Love is all very well but in the hands of people it turns to soup”. We laugh but we know it’s true. And the truth is there right up to the unsentimental unpredictability of the outcome. It is as human as you can get, matched by the performances. Daniel Healy’s ‘Guy’ is a beautifully studied portrayal of the wary, diffident troubadour who can really only belt out his true self in song. Emma Lucia beguiles as ‘Girl’; brutally honest and teasing yet vulnerable and tender. The equally magnificent supporting cast take on a variety of roles, in between which they pick up a variety of musical instruments to startling effect.

And this is where the show comes into the fore. The musicianship is faultless and under Peter Rowe’s stylised direction and Francesca Jaynes’ choreography the staging is beautifully crafted. The ensemble move as one with metronomic precision. Often such technical virtuosity can soften the emotional punch, but it is the music that ultimately leads us to the standing ovation this show deservedly receives. Rooted in Celtic folk and Irish culture it has a very contemporary feel, be it Indie-Folk, Indie-Rock, Folk-Rock or another combination. It wears its influences openly but there is no denying the heart-melting effect of the close harmonies and keening melodies. Lucia’s gorgeous solo rendition of ‘The Hill’, the ensemble, a Capella ‘Gold’, Healey’s tender, melancholic ‘Leave’ are but a few of the numbers that pave the way to the climactic, Oscar-winning ‘Falling Slowly’ which, once again, hits the jackpot.

‘Once’ is a musical that is anthemic and intimate. The lovelorn numbers may be predominantly in the minor keys, but the show is a major triumph.

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Mark Senior

Once

Fairfield Halls until 11th January then UK tour continues

Last ten shows reviewed by Jonathan:

Endless Second | ★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | November 2019

Frankenstein | ★★★ | Richmond Theatre | November 2019

Heroin(e) For Breakfast | ★★★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | November 2019

High Fidelity | ★★★★★ | The Turbine Theatre | November 2019

Wireless Operator | ★★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | November 2019

42nd Street | ★★★★ | Upstairs at the Gatehouse | December 2019

Bells And Spells | ★★★★★ | The Coronet Theatre | December 2019

Teenage Dick | ★★★★ | Donmar Warehouse | December 2019

The Lying Kind | ★★★ | Ram Jam Records | December 2019

The Nativity Panto | ★★★★ | King’s Head Theatre | December 2019

Click here to see our most recent reviews

★★★★

“It’s always wonderful to see roles written for women that are robust and real”

Surfacing Act Theatre present their debut play, How We Begin at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. Written by Elisabeth Lewerenz, it depicts the beautifully complex love story of best friends Helen and Diana.

How We Begin is described, by the company, as ‘a queer female love story, told in a way, which has never been told before’ and after watching the show you can understand why they would so, boldly, declare this. Their production, certainly, has a unique voice and style that sharply defines itself. Surfacing Act Theatre was founded in 2019 when Elisabeth Lewerenz and Elizabeth Benbow (director) met during the VAULT Festival’s New Writers Showcase. Finding a kindred affinity for storytelling, they joined forces to write queer narratives which are often overlooked and left on the periphery of our stages.

The show begins with Helen (Talia Pick) and Diana (Emma Lucia) who intimately share their journey of friendship to secret lovers and then back to friendship again. This cyclical love tale; poignant and incredibly witty, was deftly navigated by Pick and Lucia who portrayed the vulnerable and conflicted characters with great emotional intelligence. Both actresses were confident, displaying perfect comic timing as they bantered on stage. Their presentation of the flexible duality of love, delicately peeled away the binary spectrum so predominantly seen. It’s always wonderful to see roles written for women that are robust and real. Lewerenz’s writing provided the platform for these actresses to thrive and Benbow’s direction was the catalyst to making the piece a seamless and engaging watch.

The stage was designed (Delyth Evans) with minimalist precision and though the space was not particularly large, somehow, it began to expand before our eyes; transporting us from one location to the next. This illusion was facilitated by the subtle lighting cues (Lucía Sánchez Roldán) that silently sang alongside the action whilst steering the direction of the play. Such is the magic of theatre when it is done well – all wheels of the production moving in one smooth motion.

The true power of this play, however, is in the ‘ordinariness’ of it. It is a transferable story, relatable to all ages, genders and demographics and yet this ordinary story (and those like it) are ignored and rarely represented. How We Begin opens up the box that queer love is repeatedly stuffed into and draws out the many layers and nuances that exist within it.

Surfacing Act Theatre have created an astute, professional and accomplished production. If this is what they achieve as a debut, then they have a bright future ahead of them.

Reviewed by Pippin

Photography by Charlie Sambrook