BWW Reviews: ONCE - The Best Australia Has Seen

Once, the musical adaption of the film by the same name is quite possibly the most complete display of craftsmanship and creativity in modern theatre. This coupled with its stunning book by Edna Walsh and equally exquisite score by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova provide for an evening at the theatre unlike any other.

You first gather a sense of this uniqueness when audience and cast unite onstage before the show. The audience has an opportunity to drink form the very bar at the centre of the action, while the cast sing and jig before them, replicating the atmosphere of a traditional and very popular Irish pub. Once the audience has been ushered off the stage we are treated to a beautiful prequel of the show with the ensemble cast entertaining us with soulful ballad and rousing chorus. As the houselights morph into darkness mid Tom Parson's (Guy) opening number Leave we are well and truly invested in the story and what is to unfold. What does unfold is one remarkably told love story. Every inch of this piece is exquisitely precise. The transitions, the musicianship, the craft of acting itself, the voices, the breath, the silence. It's an example of creativity and talent combining to execute brilliance.

Madeleine Jones (Girl) is the spark that reignites (Guy's) passion for music after it's lost due to the break up with his Ex Girlfriend (Jane Patterson). The connection and love they develop for each other is realistically and poignantly told by the cast, who lead us through a combination of heartfelt and comedic moments to the show's climax in the reprise of Academy Award winning song Falling Slowly. Jones gives a most complete performance of Girl. Her characterization and interpretation is meticulously detailed and precise. Her vocal performance is delivered to perfection, soaring to the demands of the folk genre, embodying every note and word she utters. While the same can't be said for Parsons who at times waivers in accent and also delivers a handful of numbers laconically (by all means a character choice), the combination of the two is spot on. They work brilliantly together and compliment each other with the youthful exuberance of two young strangers who begin to fall for each other and who are ultimately caught in a web of love without initially even realizing it, but ultimately having to face and acknowledge it.

An ensemble of eleven highly trained, talented performers, who double as both the storytellers and the orchestra, superbly supports the two. Highlights from this remarkable bunch include Colin Dean (Billy), Anton Berezin (Bank Manager) and Gerard Carroll (Eamon) all of whom bring a seasoned calmness and humour to the show. If there is any small criticism of this production of Once it would be that the introduction to the Czech household and family in Ej, Pada, Pada, Rosicka. This could well have been more patriotic, more a sign of unity and nationalism than what was delivered. At times it also felt that the ensemble were giving far more than they needed to. A moment was at times more overplayed or danced than it needed to be. Perhaps a little less musical theatre and a little more subtlety at any given moment could have helped this.

The technical aspects of Once are faultless and flawless. John Tiffany's direction is sublime, as is Erika Katz's lighting design, which in itself threatens to steal the show, as does Bob Crowley's scenic design. The entire aesthetic of Once is filled with romanticism, culture and simplicity.

For this is where the charm of Once lies, in its poignant simplicity. There are no special effects, strobe lighting or trap doors. Sure there are techniques employed that create a point of difference in this show, but at the heart of the piece, at its very core and being is a simple love story told in a simple way by remarkable individuals who have come together from all corners of the globe to bring Australia one of the most memorable pieces in its music theatre history.

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