The Last Five Years
May. 3rd, 2019 11:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustTwo weeks ago, I saw the musical The Last Five Years at the Ensemble Theatre. It's been on my list of shows to catch, ever since I heard two of the songs at a charity concert a few years back. While the songs were fine, it was the concept that hooked me.
Basically, it's the story of the five years of a relationship, from first meeting to final parting. But Cathy's story goes backwards from end to beginning, like Memento, and Jamie's story goes forward from beginning to end, like normal. And the only time they meet is in the middle, on their wedding day.
I knew going in that it was going to be a downer, and I can't exactly say I enjoyed it? It was heartbreaking, and even the happy scenes were poignant from foreknowledge. Christian Charisiou and Elise McCann did an impressive job of carrying the show. It was very intense, just two people on a stage, with the setting sketched in by a handful of props. A one act musical with no interval.
I was surprised to see a number of children in the audience. I'm not sure how enjoyable it would have been for them to watch 90 minutes of a relationship breakdown.
Basically, it's the story of the five years of a relationship, from first meeting to final parting. But Cathy's story goes backwards from end to beginning, like Memento, and Jamie's story goes forward from beginning to end, like normal. And the only time they meet is in the middle, on their wedding day.
I knew going in that it was going to be a downer, and I can't exactly say I enjoyed it? It was heartbreaking, and even the happy scenes were poignant from foreknowledge. Christian Charisiou and Elise McCann did an impressive job of carrying the show. It was very intense, just two people on a stage, with the setting sketched in by a handful of props. A one act musical with no interval.
I was surprised to see a number of children in the audience. I'm not sure how enjoyable it would have been for them to watch 90 minutes of a relationship breakdown.
