At precisely 7:30pm (7pm on Mondays to Wednesdays, with matinees on Tuesdays and Saturdays), an audience will be sat in The Ambassadors Theatre to witness an extraordinary story on stage - but a rather curious chain of events will lead to the opening of a new musical, taking the West End by storm for 2 hours and 32 minutes, or 152 minutes, or 9120 seconds to be exact. The story begins with one question…
What if one could age in reverse?
This is the premise for F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 short story entitled The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which inspired various adaptations including Jethro Compton and Darren Clark's recent stage musical of the same name, having freshly opened in the West End following acclaimed premiere runs at Southwark Playhouse.
As with many adaptations, the writers enjoy the liberty to set the story's heartbeat to reflect their intentions and for this particular vision, a seaside fishing village in Cornwall at the end of the First World War, setting the scene for a quest of love through time in all forms. The show follows the unconventional life of the eponymous Benjamin Button, who was born as an elderly man and gets younger by day. A well-kept secret to only his equally confused parents, Benjamin soon becomes a regular visitor to The Pickled Crab, their local pub as an old man, unbeknownst to those outside of the Button household - including barmaid Elowen Keene, the only woman he will ever love whom he slowly falls for.
But what makes this interpretation truly special to any fantasy musicals of its kind, is the presence of multifaceted actor-musicians as a major storytelling device instead of a pit band, who also doubles as the ensemble, driving the story forward as narrators. Mark Aspinall's orchestrations interacts with Darren Clark’s (also orchestrator) harmonious score, with frequent melodic refrains fusing the sounds of traditional Western instruments with Celtic, Folk and musical theatre influences. The score vibrantly integrates as one with Chi-San Howard's foot-stomping choreography, often causing the space to vibrate with infectious energy.
‘You know what they say - there are plenty more… in the sea!’
Whether part of the cast or as part of the creative force, the piece’s extended family of creators, collaborators and performers all multi-role, from actor-musicians to its director Jethro Compton - who also happens to be the mastermind behind the book, stage design and co-lyricist (whose lyrics written together with Clark demonstrates both skilful word-painting and authenticity from their stylistic influences) - the team behind the show speaking for itself the breadth of talent beyond what an audience already sees onstage.
Yet onstage no less, a cast of thirteen mesmerises from the prologue to the encore; praises extend across the company, not just John Dagleish in the titular role, who brings to life this unique personality with convincing changes in mannerisms and a touch of humanness; and Clare Foster as Elowen Keene, an energetic presence radiating through a lovely voice and character work; as both actors and characters, the company is not only equally brilliant on every instrument, but pours so much heart and joy into their performances, bringing deeper meaning into the show's equal discussions of love and grief.
At the centre of the story lies the themes of home and belonging - reliving the journey of the musical, this opening reflects exactly that - marking another momentous milestone in the development of new musical theatre, a true testament to the creative strength across the industry, pushing the piece from small beginnings to the West End.
In simpler terms, when the director’s intentions noted in the programme matches exactly the thoughts of an audience member experiencing the show for the first time, it is undoubtedly a resounding success. Words on the page alone cannot describe fully this epic journey one can only experience live - as it is so far, dare I say, one of the best musicals of the decade.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is booking at The Ambassadors Theatre until 15 February 2025. For more information and to book tickets, including £29.50 rush tickets released on each performance day via the TodayTix App, visit the show website.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5*)
Gifted tickets for an honest review | photography by Marc Brenner
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