Once

Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitesic in Once. Picture: Manuel Harlan

Opened 9 April at the Phoenix Theatre, London.

“Hello,” Girl tentatively whispers to the piano before she starts playing it, as Guy gazes at her sheepishly before picking up his guitar to join in. “You must always say hello to the piano,” she instructs him sternly before they unite to create a wealth of raw, emotion-packed song material.

Based on the critically-acclaimed motion picture, this year’s multi-award winning 21st century love story has crossed the pond to set up home at the Phoenix Theatre and bring an entirely new form of music and theatre to British soil. Breaking the mould and challenging the standard definition of musical theatre, the show starts with a show before the show. Without giving too much away, drink purchases are not just available from the usual theatre bar locations, and stage and auditorium boundaries are casually crossed.

Set in modern-day Dublin, the story is of the boy-meets-girl (but can fate allow them to end up happily ever after?) variety: Irish songwriter (Guy), bemoaning the loss of his ex, randomly meets Czech pianist (Girl) who offers him music in return for fixing her hoover.

The secret of this rather unusual set-up is in the telling rather than the plot. A carefully crafted book by Enda Walsh combines hearty Irish language and wit with the fragility and intimacy of a fledging relationship where two people are torn between fighting life’s circumstances and following their desire and instincts. Act II is decidedly more moving and tightly constructed than Act I, which takes a while to really get started as one too many Irish pub group numbers initially hold up the pace.

But as the story takes a grip of our senses, one cannot help but be enchanted by the spell cast by this rather intriguing piece, directed by John Tiffany. The music is folksy (James Blunt-meets-Dido-and-Green Day) and frankly, rather unmemorable. It could almost function as background music apart from a few emotional solo instances, though there is power in the general feel of the score from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

We fall in love with the beautiful Zrinka Cvitesic (Girl) instantly. Virtually unknown outside the Eastern European theatre and film world, she commands with a presence which immediately suggests star quality and a watchability factor that is truly unique and rarely found. Her scope of performance is impressive as well as touching, her singing pure and instantly recognisable, her movement graceful and intoxicatingly vulnerable.

As a native Croatian, she is authentic with ease and yet never plays on her cultural heritage. Declan Bennett (Guy) is the perfect partner, giving an understated yet dynamic performance and throwing himself into the musical elements with total conviction and aplomb. Aidan Kelly stands out as the rough and tough (yet big-hearted) Dublin bar owner Billy, while Valda Aviks, as Girl’s mother Baruska, provides strong support and well-timed, poignant dialogue. All the cast are also highly commendable musicians who perform with seemingly breezy ease.

Once is a thought-provoking, universal love drama with music. Though unlikely to whet the appetites of the general tourist punters, this is nonetheless a key addition to the West End theatre scene.

 Jennifer Reischel