Image credit: Marc Brenner
The first question that comes to mind about the musical version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is, ‘How on earth are they going to do it on stage?’
The answer: With lots of heart, tons of gusto and good old-fashioned suspension of disbelief.
It premiered Off-West End in the cosy Southwark Playhouse in 2019 and the producers haven wisely chosen the Ambassadors Theatre as its new home. The venue has a maximum capacity of 444, ensuring it remains intimate and involving.
Like the 2008 David Fincher-directed movie version, the musical is based very loosely on the short story that F. Scott Fitzgerald published in 1922. Fitzgerald’s tale and Fincher’s film were set in the States but the show relocates things to a small fishing village in Cornwall.
The basic premise is the same, though; Benjamin Button (no relation to this reviewer, of course!) is born old and gets younger as he de-ages. He has adventures (he becomes a fisherman, he goes to war) but the central thread is his undying love for spunky barmaid Elowen, his reverse ageing being a major obstacle for the couple to negotiate.
It’s a whimsical, heart-warming and ultimately heart-breaking tale, with a book and lyrics by Jethro Compton, who also directs, and music and lyrics by Darren Clark.
The staging is simple, with no changing scenery, and the music – which the actors play themselves on guitars, violins and assorted other instruments – has lots of upbeat folk jigs which propel the narrative forward at a breezy pace.
There’s a whiff of ‘Come From Away’ in the score, although the songs don’t stick in the head as they did in that show and there’s too much tonal repetition, especially in the first act. There’s also a little too much exposition in the lyrics, although it’s a neat idea to have the ensemble simply tell us what age the hero is at rather than leading man John Dagleish having to don wigs or prosthetics.
His performance is a little too muted (where’s the joy of growing young, not old?) but he livens up whenever Clare Foster’s vibrant Elowen is around. She doesn’t care how old Benjamin is; she lives in the moment, selling the show’s message that we should make the most of whatever time we have.
Tragedy strikes at the end and you’ll need a tissue or two. But without the cynicism of Fitzgerald’s story or the drawn-out dramas of the film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a brisk, upbeat, and uplifting ode to living life to the full.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is at the Ambassadors Theatre, London. Get tickets here.
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