Once

Musicals

West End

Phoenix Theatre

Until Sat Nov 30

Original Broadway company Photo Credit Joan Marcus.JPG

Time Out rating:

User ratings:

Rate this

Time Out says

Wed Apr 10 2013

It’s cuter than a punnet of kittens and smarter than a suitcase full of owls, so you would have to be some sort of cold-hearted bastard not to immediately fall in love with this multi-Tony-winning Broadway export. Sadly, I am that bastard, largely due to the fact I really didn’t get on with the milquetoast folk rock that makes up this intimate musical’s score.

The songs in ‘Once’ were written by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, stars of the 2006 lo-fi Irish indie flick from which this musical is adapted. In John Tiffany’s production they’re largely sung by Declan Bennett’s awkward busking Dubliner Guy, with winsome backing from his love interest, Zrinka Cviteši’s free-spirited Czech immigrant Girl.

Equal parts wistfulness and bombast, these ditties are believable enough as the sort of thing a damaged musician might knock out on his acoustic. But while they’re big on feelings, they lack hooks or memorable lyrics. Despite the ‘X Factor’-levels of emoting in Bennett’s performance, it’s all pretty trying if you’re the sort of person who dies a little inside every time Mumford & Sons come on the radio.

Yet to moan on about one facet of a musical – even if it is all the bloody music – is to be a bit of a sourpuss, especially when everything else about ‘Once’ is so delightful.

There is a genuine warmth and inclusiveness to this show that is a rarity in the razzle-dazzle-heavy West End. It’s there in the onstage bar the audience is invited to patronise beforehand, the cosy mirrors of Bob Crowley’s set, the delightfully odd-looking actors – who also double as the show’s musicians – and Steven Hoggett’s quirky choreography. And in a strong cast, Croatian actor Cviteši is a radiantly charismatic presence – I hope she does more work over here.

Best of all is top Irish playwright Enda Walsh’s script, which has great, puckish fun applying a bit of Brechtian silliness to the romcom formula (when a vacuum cleaner is required to advance the plot, somebody simply walks on and hands one to the Girl).

It also genially takes the piss out of the Irish, and generally makes a fairly standard troubled-boy-saved-by-kooky-girl story sparkle and glisten with winning wit and laugh-out-loud humour.

In fact, Walsh’s nimble script feels pointedly at odds with the songs’ earnest glumness, almost as if it were fighting against them. A sweet evening, but the songs all sound like Snow Patrol. And don’t we go to musicals precisely to escape Snow Patrol? Andrzej Lukowski

Comments

Add +

Venue details

MAP

Name:
Phoenix Theatre
Address:
Phoenix Theatre 104-110 Charing Cross Rd
WC2H 0JP

Phone:
020 7369 1733
Website:
www.ambassadortickets.com
Transport:
Tube: Leicester Sq
Map
1. Phoenix Theatre
  - 104-110 Charing Cross Rd
    WC2H 0JP
  - 020 7369 1733
  - www.ambassadortickets.com
  - 51.514379,-0.129459

Event phone:
020 7369 1733
Event website:
www.ambassadortickets.com

Categories:
Theatre. West End. Musicals

Once 2013

Date Time Price information
Wed May 22

19:30

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets
Thu May 23

15:00

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets

19:30
Fri May 24

19:30

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets
Sat May 25

15:00

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets

19:30
Mon May 27

19:30

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets
Tue May 28

19:30

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets
Wed May 29

19:30

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets
Thu May 30

15:00

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets

19:30
Fri May 31

19:30

£19.50-£95
Buy tickets

Share your thoughts

Your rating
Name *
Email *
Comment *
* mandatory fields
Tick to receive relevant updates from Time Out including news, events, offers and competitions.

Comments & ratings

(7 ratings)

Loved it - from start to finish. Music, storyline, staging and cast. Only way to top this is to see it in a real Irish pub, with Guinness on tap throughout.

Ray Sat Apr 13
Rated as: 5/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
one of the best i ever seen

Dari Thu Apr 11
Rated as: 5/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Superb show! Better than the excellent film in many ways. Beautiful set, wonderfully lit, with an astonishingly natural sound for a musical. The cast are talented and the script witty - a must see.

Axel Thu Apr 11
Rated as: 5/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Fantastic show; highly talented cast of actor/musicians, playing a wonderful variety of instruments. Having not seen the film, I can't compare it; but the story was captivating. Headphone dance was a little weird, and could have been performed solo. Also, as per ted's comment, a numb bum did make me question the length of each act, particularly the outdoors scene. Lead actress was overcome with emotion at the end; the standing ovation was deserved. Overall though, an amazing evening. Tip: arrive early!

Rob Thu Mar 28
Rated as: 4/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Great cast and wonderful music, though I didn't find it as charming as the film.

AA Wed Mar 27
Rated as: 3/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
The music to this show is superb, I could listen to it over and over again. I just wish they would pick up the pace a bit as t feels like a long evening.

ted Tue Mar 26
Rated as: 3/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Basic, honest and undeniably beautiful Once is a musical that will draw a tear and warm the heart.

guy Sun Mar 17
Rated as: 5/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Saw the 1st preview of Once last tonight. Its' one of my favourite films, and I love the soundtrack, so I wondered if it would live up to my impossibly high expectations. It surpassed them. Incredibly talented class had us mesmerised. It was full of laughter and pathos in equal measure, and the music was incredible. So full of emotion and very powerful. It was wonderfully refreshing in every way. This will work even for those who avoid the usual London musical like the plague. The standing ovation was unanimous - and long - and well deserved.

NMO Sun Mar 17
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Thoroughly enjoyed the 1st preview performance of Once at the Phoenix. Not having seen the film, this musical is brilliantly different. There's no orchestra pit, the talented cast act, sing and play various instruments themselves. Even before the start, the infectious Irish folk music was in full flow with audience members at the bar ON STAGE! There's humour throughout, a touching storyline and beautiful songs that include the superbly performed 'falling slowly' and 'gold'. Brilliant - Standing O' went on and on!

Ade Prince Sun Mar 17
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Thoroughly enjoyed the 1st preview performance of Once at the Phoenix. Not having seen the film, this musical is brilliantly different. There's no orchestra pit, the talented cast act, sing and play various instruments themselves. Even before the start, the infectious Irish folk music was in full flow with audience members at the bar ON STAGE! There's humour throughout, a touching storyline and beautiful songs that include the superbly performed 'falling slowly' and 'gold'. Brilliant - Standing O' went on and on!

Adie Prince Sun Mar 17
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *