I have to admit I have been in two minds about going to see the show since it opened. To be honest I am not sure why, I think perhaps because it is not your typical musical, considering the entire cast plays instruments on stage, without support from an orchestra. Yesterday, I finally decided it was time to go and see it with Rachael and our friend, Harriet. We decided against booking in advance due to costs and instead go for Day Seats. We arrived 9:30am, about half an hour before the box office was due to open. While there was a queue, we were able to secure three seats for the matinee show. The great thing about day seats is that they are inexpensive (in this case £25) and great seats (for us, Row D in the stalls). Definitely something worth considering if you love the theatre but cannot always afford to go.
We arrived back at the Phoenix Theatre about half an hour before the show was due to begin. I had been to the theatre before, around 15 years previously to see Blood Brothers, but I had forgotten just how small the theatre is. The size, however, was perfect for an intimate setting in which a show like Once deserves and needs. The theatre actually opens 90 minutes before the show as the bar on stage is in fact a working bar, where the audience can relax and have a drink before the show and during the interval. It was absolutely packed when we arrived, so we chose to wait till the interval and instead enjoy the pre-show, where the cast come on stage and play a few songs not part of the show. Once the audience has left the stage, they go straight into the show with the house lights coming down slowly in the middle of the first official song.
The show itself is absolutely fantastic and I definitely want to go again after the cast change in March. The stage set is basically just a bar, with the walls covered in mirrors. You have to imagine the different settings they are in, but it means the songs stand out without the need for big set changes. The mirrors, for me, are such a clever piece of stage design as it allows you see things you would perhaps miss otherwise. You can see all the instruments being played when the cast member is not facing you. The cast are all ridiculously talented, not just acting, singing and dancing but playing their own instruments as well. This element makes this musical so unique and makes it stand out amongst every other musical currently playing in the West End.
One of the biggest stand out parts of the show for me, was the well written lead characters, only known as Guy and Girl, with no given names and the actors who were cast in the roles. Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitesic were fantastic and sung every song so beautifully. Zrinka's character I absolutely loved as you rarely get to see a female part in which they are so bold and blunt on stage. The pair also a great chemistry, something which is really needed in this show! Their duet on Falling Slowly was stunning and one of the highlights of the show. The show was so fantastic that the cast were given three standing ovations!
After the show, we went round to the stage door to meet the cast. Sadly we did not get to meet Declan and Zrinka this time, but as they are nominated for What's On Stage Awards, we are hoping we will get to see them there instead. However, we did get to meet Valda Aviks (Baruska), Ryan Fletcher (Svee), Aidan Kelly (Billy), Gareth O'Connor (Eamon), Michael O'Connor (Da) and Jos Slovick (Andrej). Aidan even apologised to Rachael for the swearing but we told him we had heard far worse when we saw Billy Elliott!Having now seen the show, I am hoping it does well in the upcoming What's On Stage Awards and Oliviers! So if you haven't seen it, go and see it!
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