I am a huge fan of the Irish movie Once (2006) directed by John Carney and starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova so understandably, I was very excited to finally see the West End production at the Phoenix Theatre! An even better surprise is that Arthur Darvill (Rory from Doctor Who) is performing as the leading man, “Guy.” He is around for eight weeks only, so this is an incredible treat! He also played “Guy” in the broadway production of Once the Musical, so he is a seasoned member of the musical cast.
Promotional Photo with Arthur Darvill (Rory from Doctor Who) starring as “Guy” in Once the Musical
One of the many reasons why Once the Musical is so critically acclaimed is that all actors that perform on stage plays a minimum of one musical instrument during the course of the play. Most play 2-3 instruments, in addition to their singing voices. Stylistically, this is a very minimalist production where there are no physical scene transitions. Instead, the cast use the stage to their best advantage to convince the audience that by moving the same chairs and tables around, the characters are transported to various places throughout the story. I thought this mode of storytelling highlights the focus on the music and the romance between the two main characters and does little to detract from these powerful subjects. Bravo!
During intermission, the cast converts the stage to a concession stand for the audience!
Today is also my parent’s first day in London and I think this was a great way to start their cultural experience in the city that I grew to love for the past 5 months! My dad is also a fan of the original movie so we are both looking forward to this award-winning show!
Mama and Daddy’s first night in London!
Overall, I thought this was a great interpretation of the original story portrayed in the movie. There are definitely a few large differences between the play and the movie, but this story is foremost about music and the romance between the two main characters. Both are just beautiful!
After the Show
As usual, it is common to wait for your favorite actors after a good show to congratulate and meet them. In this case, there were many Doctor Who who remember Arthur Darvill for playing Rory on the show, so there was definitely a gaggle of girls waiting for him in particular.
This is not an extremely expensive production to see, so definitely watch it when you can!
Selene + Abroad 