The Last 5 Years – Garrick Theatre

Oli Higginson and Molly Lynch in The Last Five Years at the Garrick Theatre, London. Picture: Helen Maybanks

The Last 5 Years continues at the Garrick Theatre, London until 17 October 2021.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Jason Robert Brown’s autobiographical musical, he wrote music and lyrics, has finally arrived in the West End in a glittering production from Southwark Playhouse, first seen in February 2020.

Premiered in Chicago in 2001 the format of this two-handed musical isn’t entirely new. I Do! I Do !, Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones’ telling of a 50-year marriage from wedding night to gentle old age opened 55 years ago on Broadway. The twist in The Last 5 Years is that the tale is told from beginning to end by Jamie, and in reverse order by Cathy. Now the chronology isn’t always easy to fathom, as careers compete and the relationship progresses in conflicting directions, intersecting somewhere in the middle, but this cast and production make for a poignant and entertaining 90 minutes, laced with humour.

We first encounter Cathy, an actress whose career hasn’t turned out so well, mourning the end of the marriage, ‘Still Hurting’. Then Jamie, an aspiring writer, delirious with joy after meeting a girl outside his circle, ‘Shiksa Goddess’, but pondering how his Jewish family will respond.

The vocal writing is challenging and varied in idiom and range, as are the acting demands. Cathy must progress from diminishing degrees of pain and hurt to her joy at the start of the relationship. Jamie must go from elation to pain to a melancholic final goodbye. The middle section where their lives align has some of the most beautiful music. The Klezmer-influenced ‘The Schmuel Song’, which Jamie sings to Cathy as they share their second Christmas together, and ‘The Next Ten Minutes’ when they finally sing together after Jamie proposes marriage are musical highlights of a score that if not instantly memorable is always inventive and makes one curious to hear again.

As Cathy, Molly Lynch sings with passion and a soaring top to her voice, convincing us of her journey. Oli Higginson inhabits Jamie with ease, singing his heart out with charm and humour. Lynch and Higginson are radiant and sincere, they enliven the stage, charm and entertain us, then plunge us into heartbreak, and their performances earn this production its five stars.

Jonathan O’Boyle’s production with choreography by Sam Spencer-Lane is simple but inventive, set on a revolve with a grand piano at its centre, which Cathy and Jamie frequently play (musical direction by Leo Munby). The sound balance is excellent (sound designer is Adam Fisher), always allowing the lyrics to shine through. It would be churlish not to also mention Jamie Platt, whose lighting adds so much to the production.

As we applaud the return of large cast lavish musicals to the West End, this intimate portrait of joy and sorrow is a welcome addition. Catch it while you can.

Leon Ferguson