The Space Between – available to stream on YouTube

The Space Between – available to stream on YouTube.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Our ongoing Coronavirus lockdown has proven “the show must go on” to truly be the maxim at the core of the theatre-maker’s soul. Faced with a stage-less world, David Hunter (Kinky Boots, Waitress) and Caroline Kay (Love Story, Daisy) have written and recorded a brand-new YouTube mini-musical to raise funds for the Theatre Artists Fund, and to sprinkle a little theatrical magic over our locked-down lives.

Many writers claim it is easier to create with restrictions than it is to do so with a blank slate, but the constraints on The Space Between appear almost overwhelming. On YouTube there are no elaborate sets, no special effects, no scenery, no stage lighting, nor any of the myriad other tricks traditional musicals use to dazzle an audience. As if that wasn’t enough, Hunter and Kay were not even able to meet one another during the writing process: they conducted their writing sessions through text messages and voice memos exclusively.

Perhaps anticipating that a YouTube viewer’s attention span might be somewhat less than a theatre attendee’s, The Space Between consists of just three songs – a solo for each performer and a final duet – which play out over just 13 minutes. This leaves too little time to tell an epic story on the scale of Hamilton or Les Misérables, but whereas some writers may have still attempted to cram as much plot into the short running time as possible, Hunter and Kay consciously keep things minimal. No grand world-building is required: just a pair of lovers experiencing difficulties and singing about it over video-chat.

So, if The Space Between lacks a lot of what we are used to in musical theatre – the grand story, the set, the ensemble, the glitz – what exactly does it bring to the table? For starters: two absolutely superb performances by Hunter and Kay. Their decision to not rush through an overly complex plot means that the stage veterans can dig deep into each emotional beat and bring real depth to what should have been (given the running time) two-dimensional characters.

Secondly, the score is glorious. Though some aspects of the production may seem far removed from the musical theatre we know and love, these songs will take you straight back to that cosy auditorium with an overpriced wine in hand. The sophisticated but tasteful compositions provide Hunter and Kay with the perfect accompaniment for their West End-honed voices, which they unleash with the tangible glee of natural performers kept away from the stage for far too long. The final song is a classic musical theatre duet as touching as any you have seen, despite featuring only a piano, a cello, and two characters you have known for less than a quarter of an hour.

Special kudos must be given to arranger Nick Barstow on piano and Imogen Halsey on cello. The music is sensitively orchestrated for this instrumental duo and showcases the harmonic complexity that might have been lost in a traditional theatre pit. At times it is easy to forget that you are listening to a band one twelfth the size of Wicked’s.

As brilliant as it has been to watch recordings of old shows and streamed Zoom concerts over the last few months, The Space Between’s homemade charm is the closest I have felt to the thrill of seeing a new musical in a theatre since the lockdown began. And why not? After all, The Lion King took us to the African savannah with just puppets and lighting. Hunter and Kay have even fewer resources, but enough inventiveness and skill to be just as transportive.

Ian Bowkett