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| Tracy Noble and cast of "The Last Five Years: In Concert" |
Directed by Jonathan Rush – Musical Direction
by Jessica Coote.
Lighting and
Sound by Sidestage Production Services
Belconnen
Community Theatre 5 – 9th April.
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
“The Last
Five Years” is a sweet two-hander musical written and composed by Jason Robert
Brown which chronicles the breakdown, over a five year period, of the marriage
of actress Cathy to Jewish author Jamie.
It differs
from other similar musicals in that Jamie’s story is told in chronological
order starting just after the couple first met, while Cathy’s story is told in
reverse chronological order beginning the show at the end of the marriage. Many
find this complex device detracts from their enjoyment of this musical.
The show is
also notorious because of subsequent court battles between Brown and his
ex-wife who claimed that relationship details featured in the musical violated
non-disclosure agreements within their own divorce decree.
However you
need to know none of this to enjoy this charmingly performed concert version, for
which the storyline has been abandoned and the songs which tell the story are
shared between six talented performers who make up the cast, Dave Collins, Belle Nicol, Tracy Noble,
Jonathan Rush, Dave Smith and Rachel Thornton.
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| Dave Collins and cast of "The Last Five Years : In concert" |
Although presented
in correct order, each song is treated as a little drama of its own. The lyrics
are unchanged, the performers still address each other as Cathy and Jamie, but
in some cases the songs are performed by cast members of different gender to
the characters in the musical. This
works very well in revealing unsuspected nuances within the songs, but
occasionally becomes confusing for those looking for a storyline.
Presented in
a simple, attractive setting with the full cast on stage for most of the
performance with intelligent direction by Jonathan Rush, this revue style
presentation allowed each cast member to work to their strengths and showcase
their considerable individual talents between attractively staged ensemble
numbers.
Having
impressed earlier in the show with his comedic talents in “Shiksa Goddess”,
Dave Collins sings of superb rendition of “When You Come Home to Me” before
launching into a tongue-twisting version of the same song detailing random
thoughts running through his mind as he repeats the song in an audition.
Dave Smith - Dave O'Neill - Tracy Noble - Rachel Thornton - Jonathan Rush
in
"The Last Five Years : In Concert".
Similarly
Rachel Thornton opens the show with the lovely “Still Hurting”, then later
surprises with a very funny interpretation of “The Schmuel Song”. Jonathan Rush grabs attention with his
gender-bending rendition of “See I’m Smiling” then reveals a different side of
his characterisation in the jaunty “I Can Do Better Than That”.
Dave Smith
impressed with his superb laid-back version of “Summer in Ohio” then almost
stops the show with his dramatic rendition of “If I Didn’t Believe in You”. Tracy
Noble charmed with her version of “A Part of That” while interpreting a
different mood later with “Goodbye Until Tomorrow”, and Belle Nicol
demonstrated her versatility with “Moving Too Fast” then later with the soulful
ballad “Nobody Needs to know”.
Particular
joys of this production are the superb orchestra conducted by Jessica
Coote, led by Vanessa Chen on violin and
Lucinda Antcliff on piano with Monica Cao and Michael Bowrey on cellos, Kat
Woodward on Guitar and Steven O’Mara on bass, which accompanied each song with sensitive,
complex arrangements without ever overwhelming the all-important lyrics, and
the excellent lighting and sound achieved by Sidestage Production Services in
creating an attractive environment for each song.
“The Last
Five Years in Concert” is a surprisingly polished presentation which deserves
to be seen by many more than will get the opportunity during this short season.
Photos by Kyle Maley.
This review first published in the digital edition of "CITY NEWS" on 7th April 2022.
