***** 5 Stars
“Heartfelt, Endearing and Deeply Moving! “
Marking 75 years of theatre making at the heart of the gateway to the highlands The Pitlochry Festival finally welcomes Alan Cumming’s inaugural season as Artistic Director with a heartfelt, endearing and deeply moving production of “Once” with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová and a book by Enda Walsh, Once is the Tony Award-winning musical based on John Carney’s much-loved 2007 film.
Premiering in New York in 2011 at the American Repertory theatre prior a transfer to Broadway at the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre the production would go on to win eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Once now makes its debut in Scotland at Pitlochry. Reuniting the original creative team to bring this modern and generational classic to the stage, opening Alan Cumming’s inaugural season in as style that see’s the venue transformed with renewed creative flair for the future.
Once tells the story of Guy (The sublime Dylan Wood), a disillusioned street musician ready to leave his songs behind, and Girl (Lydia White in emotional honest performance), who challenges him to believe in his talent. With the support of an unconventional group of friends and fellow musicians, they embark on creating an album together. Along the way they discover themselves, there sense of place alongside love and where the heart belongs a potent mix that’s handled beautifully by acclaimed director John Tiffany.
Tiffany has blended his two lead stars with a beguilingly talented eight strong ensemble of actor/musicians to create a company that bleeds passion and truth in every scene. This is one of those rare utterly faultless productions that doesn’t retool the show but reshapes it with passion for the venues home and new generation of theatre goers it seeks to attract.
Performances are uniformly excellent throughout with gorgeous vocals aplenty and the decision of director John Tiffany to make the show inherently Scottish pays off in spades. Production wise the show is a triumph with Bob Crwoley’s design evoking many a Scottish pub with ease with credit to the in-house team at the Theatre for a wonderfully, realised set and costume design. The pub is beautifully lit by lighting designer Natasha Katz and the moments of soliloquy have perhaps some of the most evocative lighting ever created in “Once”. Clive Goodwin’s sound design is also beautifully realised.
Much was riding on Alan Cumming picking the right show with which to launch his inaugural season at the theatre, not just to prove his artistic vision but as a creative expression that the changes he has made are for the better and set the Pitlochry Theatre on a renewed sense of self and that after 75 years the theatre at the gateway to the highlands is still creative melting pot that exceeds far beyond its stage.
Once is show that once seen is never forgotten and This Pitlochry Festival production will transcend time as uniquely special and individual production that will last long in the memory of all those who have good fortune to see. So why not head for the highlands and grab what very few tickets remain before falling slowly for the shows charms yourself! and if you get there early enough you might get a chance to head onstage and share a pint with the other locals! wonderful stuff.
Once, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry runs until Saturday 27th June for more information and tickets go to: Once | Pitlochry Festival Theatre
ScotsGay Arts 