Starting on Broadway, this musical was already a big hit, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2013, as well as many other awards. It is now also doing well in London’s West-End, and this doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. The show was originally based on a film, which was shown at the 2007 Sundance film festival, and won the 2007 academy award for best original song with the hit ‘Falling Slowly’, also used in the show.
The complete soundtrack to the original film was composed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and the same was true of the stage musical, with most of the same songs being used for both. The soundtrack is simple yet extremely romantic, written more with an Irish folk style than traditional musical theatre scores. The main characters of the piece are trying to write a marketable album and so the songs in the show are each written as if to make up a demo CD.
The main story follows an Irish man living in Dublin as he busks on the streets part-time, as well as working at a vacuum-cleaner repair shop. The man then meets a young Czech woman who is watching him perform. She barely knows him but tries to persuade him to follow his passion in music and write a CD. At first he resists to the idea, nonetheless over the course of the story she wears him down. They gradually get to know each other very well and learn about each other’s sad pasts and what they are trying to move on from. They then share a brief romance, but though the two have so much in common, can they ever make their love work?
The story explores a different kind of romance to that we usually see in films, TV and the media, being based more on a mutual understanding of each other than any kind of physical relationship and this proved to be incredibly refreshing. This musical, unlike most you see today, is not at all showy. It doesn’t try to make everything seem magical or epic but instead focuses on everyday real people and emotions. It understands what true love is and that sometimes love isn’t miraculous and extraordinary but is just about two people really caring for and understanding each other. What’s most brilliant about this show is how down to Earth and simple it is, from the premise all the way down to how it’s realised on stage.
The cast members do not even venture backstage when not performing but instead sit on chairs placed around the edge of the performance area. The surroundings do not change as if by magic between scenes, instead the whole show takes place with just one set. This set, which is made up like a bar, is surprising also used as a working bar, both before the show starts and during the interval, so you can literally walk into the production. This, for many, allows a once in a lifetime chance to walk on a real West-End stage. Another interesting production decision made on this piece is that every cast member in the show plays an instrument, so that rather than the music coming from the orchestra pit below you can actually watch all of the music being made on stage, with the lead male character playing the guitar and lead female playing the piano. You may wonder why I have not mentioned the names of these characters yet but, interestingly, they remain unnamed, only being referred to as Guy and Girl respectively, presumably allowing the audience to focus on the romantic heart of the piece.
For a truly original and creative theatrical production I cannot recommend enough that you go and see this wonderful show and, in the meanwhile, maybe have a listen to the superb soundtrack, which features some truly heartfelt songs, such as ‘Falling Slowly’ and ‘Gold’.
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