Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
The Last Five Years follows the tumultuous relationship of Cathy Hyatt, played by Laura Horton and Jamie Wellerstein, played by Joe Hufton. In a unique twist Cathy lives out their relationship in reverse chronological order, whereas Jamie tells his story in chronological order. There is very little direct interaction between the two characters during the course of the musical. When their timelines intersect the two are getting married, only to continue on their own journeys a few short minutes later. The Last Five Years has all the charm, humour and emotion that we have come to expect from modern musical theatre. However it relies heavily on the two starring roles to capture the hearts and minds of the audience. We need to care about Cathy and Jamie for this show to be a success.
Hufton and Horton certainly rose to the challenge. Horton’s portrayal of the ambitious, yet unsuccessful, Cathy is wonderfully sincere. Vocally, her performance is like a smack in the face, in the best possible way. She oozes talent and confidence and seemed to truly understand Cathy’s frustrations. Hufton was a complete surprise, showing an exceptionally competent vocal ability. However it was the honesty, integrity and humour that he brought to the character that really stood out. The two of them carried this intricate musical with confidence, showing incredible memory, focus and energy.
When watching the Last Five Years it is almost impossible not to feel like you are intruding on a private relationship. Watching Horton and Hufton was like peering through a crack in the curtains of someone’s front room. Their relationship is wonderfully defined during ‘The Schmuel Song’ when Jamie dances in his pajamas to an unusually calm Cathy. She is in awe of him and he is in love with her and the audience can tell. Cathy and Jamie are not an extravagant couple, but it is their normalcy that makes their story so captivating. We can all relate to their ambition, determination, love, loss and despair in one way or another. Hufton plays this role using his obvious natural advantage…..he is a man, a bloke, a lads lad, someone who could be Jamie in every sense of the character. As for Horton, her portrayal of the broken hearted Cathy in ‘Still hurting’ is just one of many emotional highlights.
Of course there were three heavyweights in this musical ring. Kudos must go to musical director James Oliver for teaching and playing the music with the assistance of his stellar band. Despite the confines of the space the band did not overpower the performers, instead they provided an atmosphere that is rarely felt in the drama barn.
In true reviewer fashion I do have a few small criticisms which in the grand scheme of things are still outweighed by the quality of the performance. I would have preferred to sit in a more traditional head on style, rather than watching from the sidelines. Due to the seating arrangement the characters were often forced to turn their backs on one portion of the audience. Little added quirks, like the cover of Jamie’s novel, were lost on many for this reason. The set seemed somewhat unimaginative and old-fashioned considering the youth of the characters, yet the quality of the lighting helped to make every piece seem important and interesting at the appropriate times.
Overall, I would thoroughly recommend a trip to the drama barn this weekend. Even if you are not ‘down’ with the musicals this is no reason to shun the performance. I defy anyone not to get sucked in to the mesmerising relationship of Cathy and Jamie..
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