Cast changes and tears at Once the Musical

By Emily Hardy

My dad warned me about the quiet ones; it's no surprise then that I can’t get enough of them. (I'm talking about musicals of course. There's not enough space on the internet for me to start writing about my taste in men - or distinct lack thereof). This time a year ago, I was losing hope - not in the execution of shows or the quality of performances, but in the material. Another formulaic jukebox musical or a bland revival starring someone from Reality TV - was this all the future held for musical theatre?

But then there was Once - the odd one out, the underdog, commercial in some respects but low key, quiet and thought provoking. Even I doubted Once though before it opened - frowning at the drizzly premise and agreeing with others that this show wasn't 'branded' enough to brave the fluorescent storm of fluff that dominated the West End. But come press night, I'd fallen in love. I've always been seduced by the quietly brilliant, those who have more than they show and speak less than they know (to borrow from Shakespeare), and Once does just that. It doesn't give it to you on a plate. You listen, concentrate, engage and in return are given one hell of a cathartic pay off.

I'm filled with a smug sense of satisfaction then that, a year since opening at the Phoenix theatre, Once has reached its one year cast change, has been nominated for six Olivier Awards and is still as raw and bathetic as ever. If shows like Once can gather momentum and attract audiences on the basis of recommendation (because it is not an easy show to market conventionally), then there's hope yet.

"It has been far from your run-of-the-mill recast."

A new company will alter the energy in any show, but particularly in a delicate piece such as this - so heavily reliant upon stillness, silence and actor-musicians playing and moving as one. It must have been tough for the few remaining members of the company (including cellist Bank Manager - Jez Unwin and Girl - Zrinka Cvitešić), but this organic show can only have benefited from the switch up, the actors stepping further than ever from the trap of predictability or worse...complacency.

London's Once is in safe hands with Arthur Darvill at the forefront, only recently home from playing the same role on Broadway. Darvill, who I know as a songwriter prior to his television success, enchants with his layered interpretation of Guy - the enigmatic natural born talent crippled by disappointment and fear. Loren O'Dair is a more serious, seductive Reza and Matthew Harper brings more gentility and sadness to aspiring area manager - Andre. But it's not about the individuals. The fusion of the ensemble, the fluidity of Stephen Hogget's choreography and the seamlessness with which the company diffuse from scene to song make the show what it is. And it's different now - arguably sadder than before and perhaps even worth seeing again if you've been before, or four times like I have.

On this particular occasion, my attention was drawn to the audience, sharing lots of laughs but also wet with tears. Once is advertised as a "great night out," but isn't a breezy piece of light entertainment; it stirs emotions and tests the tear ducts. What is it that makes this "love story" (that began life as a trendy, low budget film) so sad?

Once has been romanticised in adaptation for the stage. The musical has more idealism and less poverty (Girl is no longer a Big Issue seller, for example) so it consequently

feels a lot like a fairy tale. Once upon a time, there is a "heart-broken hoover fixer sucker guy" from Dublin who meets a Czech single-mother with a broken hoover on the street. She has fierce enthusiasm for his music, quite a nice face, a knack for the piano and a friend at the bank. In the space of a week, with a little help from Girl and her helpful and talented friends, Guy's life is radicalised and his hope restored. Right... But, what's sad about that?

It is sad because it's NOT a conventional love story; Once is more interesting than 'Guy meets Girl. The End.' It has less to do with love and more to do with loneliness, loss and companionship - a pantheon of emotions with which to relate. Once, fairy tale or not, forces us to consider how fortunate we are for the people who come into our lives, however briefly, to restore our faith in the future. It also forces us to acknowledge our loneliness (exacerbated by city living), and the desire for someone to demonstrate belief in you and what you do. It's even sadder if you feel that those characters, those angels, don't exist in your universe - if you are sat there wondering, where are those generous parents, those selfless friends and why did no one buy ME a piano yet? I'd like to put Once inside a snow globe and, just occasionally, shake it up to re-live the enchanting parable of blind faith, gratitude and unequivocal care that can't just be exclusive to Dublin or the land of make-believe.

Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that Once doesn't grant us three wishes and a satisfying fairy tale ending. Like in life, reason and responsibility ultimately conquer over romance. "You cannot walk through your life leaving unfinished love behind you." You accept your path, and that person who was, for a short few days, your reason for living becomes no more than a distant memory.

Book tickets online at www.oncemusical.co.uk

Starring Arthur Darvill until May 10th 2014.

@Emily_L_Hardy

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