arts
Once review
Pitlochry festival theatre This stripped-down show with a maudlin set of songs makes for the most reluctant of musicals, but this is a production that has the confidence to be silent or stately
TL;DR
- The musical 'Once' is characterized by its stripped-down production, melancholic songs, and depressive story, defying traditional Broadway conventions.
- The show features a folksy atmosphere with actor-musicians and movement sequences inspired by physical theatre rather than high-kicking routines.
- The production, remounted by the original creative team, has a pleasing slickness and economy of means, with rhythmically complex and sensitively arranged acoustic songs.
- The narrative follows a Dublin busker who is drawn out of disillusionment by a young Czech woman, but their relationship is only nearly formed.
- The bittersweet ending is emotionally true, though the brooding mood makes the show feel more autumnal than suitable for a summer season.