‘The Last Five Years’ is an ambitious show to take on; a Jason Robert Brown score is no tame beast, and the intimate vulnerability required for this particular show to really fly asks a lot of its two actors. Castle Hill Players’ production, which runs from the 25th of July to August 16th, and has the pain and humour, the nuance and stillness, that this book and score deserve.
Director Julian Floriano has done a really wonderful job. The staging has to hold together story threads that are moving in opposite directions, and actors who barely have any points of physical interaction; Floriano has created spaces for the songs and actors to shine. Storytelling through character-building is the base required for this show to succeed and it is done excellently here.
Julian Badman of Your Place Architecture has designed a really beautiful and effective set; one of my personal favourites I’ve seen in a theatre recently. Gentle ripples of semi-sheer fabric hang in layered walls across the stage. At different times you can see characters or the band through them, or they are raised to reveal a scene in a new place. Cathy and Jamie (the two characters) move around each other through this mist, the curtains literally lifting to reveal moments of insight.
This show has a rotating cast, and the dates each will be performing is available at the booking link. Opening night began with Cassidy Donovan’s performance of ‘Still Hurting’ which is perhaps the song with the highest profile. Donovan is captivating from the start, and steps to the challenge of such a famous and devastating number with gentle ease. Her comedic moments are some of the highlights, and her energy is excellent.
Levi Burrows’ Jamie is goofy and ambitious, and he nails the moments where Jamie has an open flank. For much of the second act to resonate, Jamie needs to be someone the audience connects to genuinely, and Burrows catches the youthful joy and genuine love to do this.
David Catterall leads the small and mighty band excellently, and the sound mix meant the strings, played by Jade Jacobs, Heather Hinrichs and Ian Macourt, can harmonise evenly and beautifully Chris Everest’s lovely guitar playing. Catterall plays Jason Robert Brown’s intricate piano parts with a delicate touch, and Dominic Yeap-Holliday holds down the rhythm section (on bass) with aplomb. Bernard Teuben’s sound design across the entirety of this trip to the theatre was excellent; I hope the lobby playlist was curated specifically for this because it fit perfectly.
This is the only full-fledged musical on the books for the Castle Hill Players this year, and is definitely worth seeing. If you are not a fan of a the big song and dance of traditional musical theatre, this really good production of this award winning show offers a different way into the art-form. This is a very human story told with both humour and compassion by a skilled cast and band.
To book tickets to The Last Five Years, please visit https://paviliontheatre.org.au/the-last-five-years/.
Photographer: Chris Lundie
