The Last Five Years – Marlborough, Brighton

The Last Five Years was performed at the Marlborough Theatre, Brighton.

Jason Robert Brown’s cult song cycle that rakes over the coals of a failed five-year relationship received a successful three-night outing at Brighton’s Marlborough Theatre thanks to Fight or Flight Productions. For this youthful company – founded by Jess Barton (artistic director) and Kieran Chapman (executive producer) – it proved to be an apposite choice of show, dealing, as it does, with the relationship challenges facing a twentysomething couple. The intimate venue also proved a good choice for JRB’s one-act two-hander and its band of four musicians.

The Last Five Years documents the doomed partnership of Catholic wannabe actress Cathy and her Jewish beau Jamie. In a fascinating spin on the typical boy-meets-girl story, their lives together unfold simultaneously forwards and backwards – we open with Cathy lamenting the end of their marriage (‘Still Hurting’), immediately followed by Jamie buzzing with excitement after their first date (‘Shiksa Goddess’). Taking it in turns, each partner delivers a solo song about an aspect of their life, meeting up only in the middle of the show at their wedding, when they sing a duet (‘The Next Ten Minutes’).

The show debuted in Chicago in 2001 but was quickly hamstrung by Brown’s ex-wife, who threatened to sue because of the similarities between her and the female lead. A few changes later and the show finally opened Off-Broadway in 2002, where it won a handful of awards, including a Drama Desk Award for best music and lyrics. It has since gone on to attract a not-insignificant band of followers, although its popularity looks set for a boost as a Hollywood version starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan has received the green light.

Judging by the young crowd at the Malborough, this latest production also introduced a few newbies to the show. The Marlborough is a well-equipped micro-theatre – complete with a miniature pros arch and velvet curtains – above a pub in the centre of Brighton. A hip new-ish venue, it has hosted a range of straight plays and musicals, and is a key venue on the Brighton Fringe.

Designed by director Barton, the spare set used the most basic of chairs and light boxes. The plain black walls featured a word-cloud of relationship terms, and against the back wall was a calendar device to note the passing of years: as the show progressed, two name boards made their up and down the calendar, aiding those audience members who might be confused by the unusual chronology.

Taking the lead roles were Harriet Dunn and Tom Reade, perfectly cast as the geeky pair. Both were also able to cope with the demanding vocals, and matched the singing in the acting stakes; indeed, in a show where the two leads are quite easy to dislike, Dunn and Reade gave such delightful, geeky performances that you couldn’t help but care for their doomed characters.

Although the musical is written as a two-hander, Barton made the ingenious call of roping in three ensemble players to fill the sung-through 90 minutes with activity. Rosemary Terry, Ross Kernahan and Sarah Gillett took on multiple roles – waiters, secretaries, sexual partners – and even introduced some clever puppetry for ‘The Schmuel Song’, in which Kernahan wielded hand-written signs with various lyrics – “Na na na na”, “Be Happy” – to great comic effect.

Conducting from the flute – yes, the flute – was MD Cody Bamford Bridges, who kept his excellent band of musicians (Oliver Beatson, piano; Tolek Konior, guitar; Daniel Breaden, bass guitar) together and tight, although he clearly struggled keeping his own instrument in tune, not helped I’m sure by the determinedly cold air-conditioning unit above him. Positioned in the audience, on the right-hand side of the theatre, he also proved to be something of a distraction, conducting vigorously from the hip as if commanding the full forces of Mahler’s Eighth. I recommend that he at least wear black the next time…

And I do genuinely look forward to the next time. I’m particularly keen to see what Barton does next, as her fresh, light take on this often dour, depressing show was a revelation.

 Craig Glenday

www.drinkinbrighton.co.uk/marlborough