A fresh and contemporary musical from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years is the story of the rise and fall of a young couple’s relationship told from both sides, which is being brought to life by a fresh and contemporary new company, keen to show the power of message through music.
At its core, The Last Five Years is a simple love story gone wrong. Boy meets Girl, they fall in love, get married, and eventually get divorced – all in the span of five years. But the twist in the tale is the chronological delivery of time, as Cathy’s story starts at the end of their relationship while Jamie’s begins on the day they met.
Brown, who is responsible for shows like Songs for a New World, Parade, and 13, wrote the music, lyrics, and book for this one-act musical which premiered in Chicago in 2001 before moving to Off-Broadway the following year. The Last Five Years is a raw, enchanting and bittersweet show that captures some of the most heartbreaking and uplifting moments of modern romance.
Brown’s intensely personal work, which presented an opportunity for him to delve into some confessional song writing when his own marriage went into demise, presents the perfect vehicle for new musical theatre company Green Room, who state that their ethos is to tour productions throughout the UK and internationally, ensuring the titles they chose communicate an effective message to their audience, directly through music.
The power of storytelling is rising, and the old traditional art – which has often been looked upon by many as an artform for children or old codgers – is enjoying a revival and all performing disciplines are starting to see the benefits – anything worth its salt for the audience has a core story at its heart that is relatable and penetrable. The fact that the company are premiering at the Scottish Storytelling Centre reflects beautifully the importance that story will have underneath the musical delivery.
The Last Five Years is fresh, theatre-pop pastiche, informed by unpredictably heartfelt insights and energized by a seductive, rhythmic drive, supplied by Brown’s expressive, low-rumbling compositions. Here’s to this fledgling company who I’m sure over the next five years, we’ll be hearing much more from.
Lindsay Corr is Marketing Officer at Scottish Storytelling Centre
Edinburgh
Wed 5th & Thurs 6th October | 7.30pm
www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk
Birnam
The Birnam Institute
Saturday 8 October | 8.00pm
Aberdeen
The Lemon Tree
Sunday 9 October | 7.00pm
Crew and Cast
Michael Richardson (Director)
Neil Metcalfe (Musical Director)
Sarah Haddath (Cathy)
Michael Davies (Jamie)
Cerin Richardson (Designer)
George Cort (Lighting designer)
Celia Newell (Stage manager)
Paul Smith (Sound designer)