Review: ONCE, The Irish Musical About Learning To Take Chances And Keeping Culture Finally Comes To Sydney.

Tuesday 2nd July 2019, 7:30pm, Eternity Playhouse

Sydney audiences finally get to experience the wonderful music and heartwarming story of ONCE with Richard Carroll's (Director) delightful interpretation of the musical adaptation of John Carney's movie. With music and lyrics by Glen Hansard andMarkéta Irglová and book by Enda Walsh, this is a celebration of Irish music presented live onstage by multi-talented cast.

ONCE has a delightful simplicity to it, to the point that it's protagonists aren't even named but simply referred to as Girl (Stefanie Caccamo-piano) and Guy (Toby Francis-guitar). While centred in love, both the Guy's lost love that has fuelled his music and prompted him to want to give it up, and the blossoming love for the Girl who recognises his potential, ONCE is more about taking chances, both on oneself and on other people. Czech immigrant Girl sees Dublin native Guy's potential and, somewhat oddly, takes it upon herself to make sure that he doesn't abandon his talents and that he does not give up on his former girlfriend that moved away. Their short friendship is played out through dialogue and expressions of Guy's compositions on stage with the assistance of the rest of the ensemble that also take on roles of Guy's father "Da" (Cameron Daddo-guitar), the music instrument store owner Billy (Rupert Reid-guitar), Girl's mother Barushka (Joanna Weinberg-accordian) and Girl's best friend and flatmate Reza (Victoria Falconer-violin/saw), other migrant flatmates Svec (Joe Accaria-percussion) and Andrej (Abe Mitchell-guitar/bass), the Bank Manager (Drew Livingston-mandolin), Pub Emcee (Conrad Hamill-cello), and recording studio manager Eamon (Alec Steedman-violin).

This is a sweet, uplifting piece with wonderful music performed by a fabulous cast. It has a simplicity to the story even if some of it does seem a little absurd in the idea that, in less than a week, a stranger is setting up meetings and organising bank loans to kick start the Guy's career ignoring the fact that she herself is an extremely talented pianist. While much of the story does not take place in an Irish pub, the connection of music in the Irish pub culture is reinforced with Hugh O'Connor's set. He has built a dark timber pub across the stage with bench seats lining the walls and plenty of space for scenes to unfold and simple props to transform the space into the streets of Dublin, Billy's music shop and Guy and Girl's homes. Peter Rubie's lighting design keeps the focus on the main story whilst ensemble members may still be waiting in the shadows, only highlighting them with muted spots when they provide instrumental support. The cross beams of light for Guy sharing his feelings on the hills over Dublin creates a powerful image but the sliver of light through windows as Girl contemplates her feelings is possibly too narrow, often leaving Girl's face obscured by shadows. Amy Campbell's choreography adds a wonderful energy to the work as the performers weave and dance all while playing instruments and singing.

Toby Francis is, as always, an absolute treat to watch and listen to. He captures the essence of a broken man shattered by the loss of his love, left behind while she left for New York. He infuses this emotion into both his dramatic scenes and his music that is presented with heartfelt honesty. He has the ability to get inside his characters and ensure they are presented with the right balance to give them a human realness that garners empathy. His vocals have the flexibility to range from tender deep emotion that saw a number of the audience reach for tissues, to powerful passion and the amusing wander into comic country.

The forthrightness of the Eastern Europeans is captured fabulously by Stefanie Caccamo as the young mother from the Czech Republic who takes an interest in Guy. She gives Girl an inquisitive air underpinned with a intelligence that is only hampered by the cultural divide as she struggles with the differing language and attitudes to ambition. There is a sense that Girl is in a phase of her life where she is in a limbo of sorts and is looking for something to do beside look after her infant daughter and wait and see if her husband will come back from Europe to be a family again. Caccamo plays the piano wonderfully as Girl pays off a debt with a piece of Felix Mendelssohn, and her vocals are stunning in their purity and expression of emotion. Her vocals are a contrast to Francis' leading to a wonderful combination in their duets.

Of note in the rest of the ensemble, Rupert Reid adds a delightful comic relief as the shop owner who Girl has befriended to play his pianos. His presentation of Billy's flirtation with the uninterested or unaware Girl plus his attempt to intimidate his perceived rival Guy is highly amusing. Cameron Daddo as Da adds a calm steadiness to the work and makes it clear why Guy has no real drive to take chances. Victoria Falconer ensures flatmate and barman Reza is seen as strong, confident and comfortable with her sexuality and her appeal to men.

This is a strong production that sits somewhere between a play with music, musical theatre and an old fashioned Irish pub music session. ONCE is well worth seeing if you can secure one of the few remaining tickets.

https://www.darlinghursttheatre.com/whats-on/once

Photos: Robert Catto

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