Review: THE LAST FIVE YEARS Will Break Hearts at Theatre On The Bay

I was so excited when THE LAST FIVE YEARS was announced two years ago, and I was genuinely gutted for the entire production team when they had to postpone due to COVID. Some serious dedication went into keeping this dream alive and after getting to see opening night, I can safely say that it was worth the wait! Thank you and congratulations to Tally Ho! Productions for seeing it through.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS is actually quite a difficult musical to stage. It might not seem like it - a classic story of a relationship that started out strong and then fell apart after five years. The thing is, it's told in a very interesting way. Cathy's story starts at the end of the relationship and Jamie's starts at the beginning. She runs backwards and he runs forwards, meaning the actors and the character journeys only meet once in the middle.

Through sensitive and clever direction by Paul Griffiths and complete commitment from performers Zoë McLaughlin and Anthony Downing, THE LAST FIVE YEARS is a hit. Both performers had to act as if the other person was there next to them and through their abilities, we the audience could feel it. I am amazed at how the two managed to have chemistry and a totally believable relationship even though they only came together once in the middle of the show.

I loved the multi-layered set design by Jaco Griessel and Zoë McLaughlin. It gave a lot of dimension to the performances and allowed the actors to move between the different locations beautifully. The only issue I had was that I could see straight into the wings as I was sitting right on the edge of the auditorium. This meant I could see backstage, as well as seeing cast and crew moving about, which was distracting. If this could be covered up a bit and darkened so it wasn't so obvious, it would definitely enhance the show.

The musician ensemble was excellent and definitely a much better choice than pre-recorded music. I loved seeing musical director Jaco Griessel on the piano conducting the others. They were part of the show, mixed into the fabric of the stage and the world, and yet they were never distracting and didn't steal focus from the actors.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS is definitely a show you don't want to miss!

Photo credit: Supplied

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THE LAST FIVE YEARS runs at Theatre on the Bay until 9 April 2022. Tickets are from R180 to R 220 through Computicket. All tickets are sold in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.

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