This Show Must Have Fallen From Heaven...

Once - a new musical

Phoenix Theatre, London, 24th October, 2013

Based on John Carney’s low budget 2006 Irish movie with the same title which featured the Oscar winning song „Falling Slowly“ and other songs written by Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard and adapted by Irish playwright Enda Walsh it was most probably the biggest surprise on New York's Broadway taking it by storm beginning of 2012 and managing to win eight Tony Awards including the one for best musical and the Drama League Award for most distinguished musical production. 

Once tells the story of an unlike friendship of two people, both with a passion for music even though the guy, simply called here Guy, seeming to have lost it after his girlfriend left him to go to New York.

One day he meets a girl, simply called here Girl, a Czech single mother who not only plays the piano (usually in a musical shop as she cannot afford her own piano) but also recognises the emotional pain he is in and especially the talent in his music.

Over the following five days Girl pretty much turns Guy’s self chosen miserable life upside down, kinda forces him to take out a bank loan to make a demo tape of his own songs, starts to write music with him sparking a special relationship and somehow inevitably both start to fall in love with each other.
But with Girl still being married (her husband is in the Czech Republic though) and has a young daughter, Ivanka, she cannot face it becoming romantically involved with Guy as much as she wants to (even telling him at one point that she loves him – though in Czech and he does not speak Czech ;-) ) so he actually pushes him away and to reconcile with former girlfriend and even gets him to fly to New York...

Read >>here a more detailed synopsis on Wikipedia. 

Cast of peformance: 
Guy - Declan Bennett
Girl - Zrinka Cvitesic
Baruska - Valda Aviks
Svec - Ryan Fletcher
Billy - Aidan Kelly
Eamon - Robbie White (u/s)
Da - Michael O' Connor
Ex Girlfriend - Phoebe Fildes
Andre - Jos Slovick
Reza - Flora Spencer-Longhurst
Bank Manger - Jez Unwin
Emcee - Gabriel Vick
Ivanka - Mia–Jai Bryan

I already adored the movie I first got interested in because of Glen Hansard and having seen him and his band The Frames live I do not know how often when living in Dublin, moving me so much with its simplicity, two incredible leads and most touching music. 

So when I learnt prior to the Broadway opening it was to be turned into a musical I was not too sure what to expect despite also learning that it was Enda Walsh was adapting the film (I loved his play “Disco Pigs” (not fan of the movie though) and some other stuff I got to see during my years in Dublin) but they certainly managed to stay concise not destroying the spirit of the movie but at the same time they made the musical a refreshing unique piece of its own kind like never really seen before.

It already starts prior to the show as once doors open to the auditorium you can get a drink from the on stage bar within the set looking an Irish pub with mirrored walls beautifully designed by Bob Crowley (he certainly knows how to create magic even with little things) from like 20 minutes before the actual show (though the segue to it is rather seamless and I heard people whispering “is this already the actual show?” etc.) and you can even mingle with most of the actor musician performers as they play songs as if really in an Irish pub.

Personally I think this is such a clever idea setting up already such an intimate atmosphere and mood for what is to come and you as an audience become part of the story .
The actual story then really kicks off when Guy appears on stage and the ensemble handing over the stage to him but just taking seats on chairs at the side and not leaving.

What I then got to see was the musical highlight of the year though for me while it has music in it is more than your typical musical and more a drama/concert type play.

Yes, there are songs which are reflecting as you find in other musicals but without the usual “burst out into a song” what you normally get in a musical but here it just simply feels DIFFERENT with, while the music is a major part of the show and what connects the main couple from the beginning and showing the power of music the focus is on what is told, so more a play for me.

They added some sometimes subtle, sometimes cynical, or as I’d call it typical Irish (cannot really describe it but the Irish just have this special one) humour to the show and more substance has been given to other characters as the musical instrument s shop owner Billy, the bank manager or Girl’s Czech flatmates (who speak English with Czech sur-titles ;-) ) setting itself apart from the movie but even with these, as I think, improvements director John Tiffany never lets anything else overshadow the centre couple Guy and Girl. Everything that happens around them just happens to underline these – even the slower parts (and there are quite a few silences but they never feel wrong or dull as they might easily do in other shows) just feel spot on as do the funny moments with the comic timing worked out so well.

With the rather static pub set and just a few props as a couple of chairs and tables some remarkable scenes are created, supported well by the tremendous light design, by usually the props being moved around by the ensemble throughout the show and with even the scene changes being scenes of its own having its own choreography etc. that never felt like interrupting the show but giving you a chance to reflect and get ready for what is to come.

Again I could see how little set it needs to create atmosphere and depth so that I am impressed. There is e.g. the scene when Guy and Girl overlook Dublin city for which with limited tools but mainly lights to represent the city something was created that deserved every ‘wow’ including mine that I could hear in the audience.

The songs are also weaved so perfectly into the show.
The music itself is nothing innovative, largely based on traditional Irish folk music I got so well acquainted with during my many pub visits in Dublin pretty much every Friday evening after work with colleagues but it’s again the distinctive simplicity of the songs and the lyrics, but also being soulfully emotionally and affecting, so wistful, melancholic and introspective, that makes them captivating and "grabbing-ly" intense allowing Guy and Girl to beautifully express yearnings they do not dare to say.

And then having them being so ravishingly performed by the ensemble showing off their musical abilities with all but the young daughter playing at least one musical instrument (kudos go especially to Gabriel Vick for his versatility) from piano and guitar to violin, even accordion and mandolin and all strong and expressive singers.
Showing that particular in the act 1 final of the magical “Gold and the later a cappella reprise in act 2 they then also manage easily to become the characters part of the show as the wonderful Michael O’Connor as Guy’s thoughtful supporting father, Jez Unwin as the rather camp musician bank manager or Aidan Kelly as the hilarious shop owner but all ensemble and I mean ALL are so excellently cast (I seriously wonder how hard the audition process of this show must be with the requirements for the various parts).

The two leads are also nothing else but outstanding. Declan Bennett’s Guy is so honestly believable and charismatic with the right (Irish) melancholy and his eventually returning passion for music and faultless authentic singing.

Zrinka Cvitešić is just STUNNING as the frank, serious but also witty and most kind Girl who is when facing love and emotion and when eventually being torn having to decide between two possible destinies showing also tenderness and vulnerability so poignantly that you cannot help but be touched by her (and if you are not you most probably have a heart out of stone).

With also the chemistry between Guy and Girl feeling so exceptionally real and sanguine, as sad as the developments are, especially when singing together the growing sparks are just there as subtle as they are at the same time building up trust and opening up to each other that even though I knew how it would end I just wanted them to find happiness and being heart broken when Girl decides against her luck with Guy with plenty of tears running down my cheeks throughout act 2 up to the final scene which is absolutely heart wrenching and again I was not the only one noticing people around me wiping off tears.

After I witnessed this it was clear the instant full standing ovation it got at the end was most deserving.

I have been going to the theatre for so many years now and while I enjoy a lot there are only a very few shows that just simply touch me and Once is one of these shows. 

It has no big staging, no big show effect, no glitz and glamour, no overly clever but low key story but what it does have it delivers to a standard so rarely seen. 

For me Once is musical masterpiece – it never pretends to be anything more (or less) than a simple love story of ordinary people full of emotion, delicacy, honesty and soul with matching performers and performances and that why it totally works for me. An absolute must see.

More info as also pictures, audio clips can be found on the official UK production website