3.18°C Presented by St. Helena School, what an end-of-term treat this is for theatregoers. Jonathan Larson’s chamber musical is small-scale and depicts his struggles in the early 1990s to get his work staged. As he approaches his 30th birthday, he hears time ticking away and panics that his chance is running out. After Larson’s death in 1995, the piece was revised and revamped, became a Broadway hit, and was a highly successful film in 2021, with lead actor Andrew Garfield receiving an Oscar nomination. Small-cast productions are highly challenging; the performers have nowhere to hide and, on a mainly bare stage, must rely on their talents. This group has no fear or reason to shy away – they are, quite simply, excellent.
Central to the show’s success is a mature, confident, and totally believable performance by Kourosh Nayeri as Jon. He has a wonderful singing voice, his acting takes you into the high-pressure world of theatrical New York, and, what is even more stunning, he is singing in his second language. A talent to watch out for.
Although Larson keeps the spotlight mainly on Jon, the ensemble has a terrific time creating his world. At my performance, Isla Kittle played his girlfriend Susan, capturing perfectly the nerves and uncertainty of their relationship – fragile yet strong. George Allen was perfect as his best friend Michael, now selling out to corporate America and revealing he has a terminal illness as the piece progresses. Amelia Gosling and Benito del Bravo provide terrific ensemble support, and the outstanding Lewis Newman multi-roles with ease, almost stealing the show as Rosa, Jon’s agent. Wonderful stuff!
The house band – Mike Lovell, Kaylen Castle, Ben Williamson, and Dan Austin – are superb, with Becky Wyatt joining Lovell and Austin in confidently directing the show. If young people are receiving this standard of mentoring, the future is looking incredibly bright.
The influence of Sondheim, Larson’s hero, is fundamental to the piece. In particular, the song “Sunday” beautifully pastiches Sunday from Sondheim’s classic Sunday in the Park with George. It also provides a bittersweet moment when Sondheim leaves a voicemail for Jon, complimenting him on the workshop of his musical Suburbia. He tells Jon he has a “bright future.” Jonathan Larson’s next musical was the huge hit Rent, but Larson died suddenly as the show was opening on Broadway, and he never got to see his brightest future. This energetic production allows that moment to land.
Well done, St. Helena School. If I were Ofsted, my report on this would be outstanding.
Paul T. Davies
The last performance is tonight, Thursday 19th December. You can book tickets here:
And here’s the trailer link:
