Highest of Highs Lowest of Lows – Above the Arts Theatre

Highest of Highs Lowest of Lows – Songs of Love & Life with Marek Rymaszewski at Above the Arts Theatre, London. 

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ 

Subtitled ‘Songs of Love and Life with Marek Rymaszewski’, this highly personal show lays bare the raw feelings, passions and pains of this distinctive composer, presented in the cosy, intimate lounge-style venue. 

The plush sofas may provide ample padding but the evening was to make for less comfortable listening. Described as an antidote to Valentine’s Day, Rymaszewski would no doubt concur with the late, great Ian Curtis (Joy Division) that in reality, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.

Seated at a piano in the corner, his opening number, ‘Dancing In a Stranger’s Eyes’, is a lovely, almost perfectly crafted song, which gets the performance off to a fine start. So much so that you’re instantly filled with confidence that a night of charismatic and original music will unfold.

Unfortunately, it proves a somewhat false creative dawn, some of the following material feeling a little formulaic and best described as morose, not to mention maudlin and a little dour – and that is the upbeat numbers.

While there’s always a twinkle of a smile from behind the piano, it feels like a secret joke he’s not letting us wholly in on. Had the evening been purely a one-man show it could have lost its lustre pretty quickly, but thankfully he’s accompanied by vocalist and West End leading lady Jane Horn, lifting the mood just a little with, for example, ‘For Crying Out Loud’, music and lyrics by Rymaszewski and Sharon Nassauer.

Having another string to the production’s bow, namely Matt James on the cello chipping in some haunting, fittingly emotive notes, is also a wise move – soothing the raw emotions exposed.  

A child piano prodigy whose ‘career’ started at age seven taught by Jean Johnstone (Mrs Lloyd Webber), Rymaszewski is certainly a bit of a tortured soul, but one that clearly takes creative inspiration from the frustrations and angst of everyday life.

The pain comes from his life experience, his pleasure is clearly derived from writing songs about it. Who needs a therapist when you’ve got an upright piano?

Billed as a ‘unique opportunity to hear songs which have never been performed live in concert before’, it’s a perfect setting for the singer-songwriter to ponder intently on success, failure, life and love.

Amid the 75 minutes, there are a few good striking numbers. ‘A Model Girl’, about the Profumo scandal, and ‘You Got Me, Marlene’, make for entertaining listening. 

During his long career, he’s had some limited chart success and that’s testimony to his somewhat maverick musical talent. A late reprise of the excellent ‘Dancing in a Stranger’s Eyes’ is a clear reminder of that. 

Derek Smith