Southwark Playhouse run of The Last Five Years extended

With over two-thirds of tickets already sold, the Southwark Playhouse run of Jonathan O’Boyle’s hit actor-musician production of The Last Five Years has been extended for an extra two weeks.

Presented by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment in association with Edward Prophet and People Entertainment, the production will now run from 1 October until 14 November 2020.

As previously announced Molly Lynch (Wasted, Southwark Playhouse) and Oli Higginson (Napoleon Blown Apart, Arcola Theatre) will return as Cathy and Jamie. They will avoid the need for social distancing on stage by remaining in the same ‘support bubble’ for the length of the run in The Large at Southwark Playhouse. The auditorium has been re-configured to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Two understudies have also joined the production: ArtsEd graduate Josh Barnett will make his professional stage debut as understudy Jamie and Lydia White (Rags, Hope Mill Theatre) who understudied the role of Cathy during the production’s run earlier this year.

With musical direction and orchestrations by George Dyer, the earlier production featured the actors onstage at all times, playing the piano accompanied by a four-piece band led by Dyer. Choreography is by Sam Spencer-Lane, with set and costume design by Lee Newby, lighting design by Jamie Platt and sound design by Adam Fisher.

The new version of Jason Robert Brown’s award-winning musical had been playing to packed houses at the South London venue when the curtain came down on the production due to the Covid-closedown on 16 March.

Written and composed by triple Tony Award-winner Brown (Parade, The Bridges of Madison County), The Last Five Years premiered in Chicago in 2001 and debuted Off-Broadway in 2002. The musical which was made into a film featuring the star of the Pitch Perfect movies, Anna Kendrick, premiered in London in 2016 in a production featuring Samantha Barks.

Angela Thomas