Before After – Southwark Playhouse Borough

Grace Mouat and Jacob Fowler in Before After at Southwark Playhouse, London. Picture: Danny Kaan.

Before After continues at the Southwark Playhouse Borough (The Little), London until 2 March 2024.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Slightly reminiscent of The Time Traveller’s Wife… but more. Like The Last Five Years… but better. Before After, written by Stuart Matthew Price (music and lyrics) and Timothy Knapman (book and additional lyrics), is the story of Ben and Ami both before, and after, a pivotal moment in their relationship which also coincided with a life-changing car accident for Ben.

Through scenes from ‘before’, interspersed with those ‘after’, their relationship is brought to life as parallels are drawn between their past and present. While Ben struggles to remember his life – including Ami – before the accident, Ami simultaneously has her own internal battle around whether or not she should tell Ben about their shared past or let him continue believing this is their first encounter.

While the storyline is undoubtedly compelling in itself, the setting of this production also perfectly complements its portrayal. Southwark Playhouse’s ‘Little’ admittedly doesn’t always work for every show, with such an intimate space often very exposing of any tiny crack in the material or performance. Sometimes it simply feels too suffocating for big, powerful displays. But here it impeccably captures Ben and Ami’s dynamic, enveloping the audience in their bubble rather than blasting the narrative outwards. Previously the only chance to see the show was via a livestream from the same venue during lockdown; to now be able to physically experience Before After in the same space as the actors adds a whole new dimension to its meaning.

As a two-person cast, both actors work incredibly hard to maintain the action in both dialogue and song, supporting each other on stage and off as all scene changes and prop movements are also down to them. Grace Mouat as Ami is stunning, her performance perfectly pitched for such an intimate space. The way she switches between pure joy and belting notes, to moments of quiet admiration, anger or sheer desperation, seems effortless. Jacob Fowler’s Ben is equally delightful, delivering excellent comic timing. The rapport between the two is authentic and comfortable.

It is easy to see how the subject matter could easily become repetitive, but thanks to some seamless time jumps and costume transformations – the simple addition of a jumper or loss of a coat – director Georgie Rankcom keeps both pace and engagement high. Indeed, repetition is used to clever effect, with the same lines embodying different meanings depending on the time period and how much of Ben and Ami’s background has been revealed by that stage.

As a reviewer, I normally have half a mind on picking out key quotes and details to highlight later, but this time the piece was so absorbing I was almost surprised (and disappointed!) when it ended. The brilliance of theatre is when casting, direction, music and design amalgamate into something so uniquely touching and memorable as this, and while it very much deserves a bright future and even bigger audiences, may it never lose the magic that this production so wonderfully captures.

Sorcha Exworthy