Review: THE LAST 5 YEARS, Out of the Box Theatrics (Online)

Who would have thought that Jason Robert Brown’s The Last 5 Years would become the perfect pandemic show?! A few production companies have turned their hand to creating their own interpretations of the much-loved musical over the last year, primarily down to the fact that it is a two-hander and usually involves very little interaction between the two protagonists.

Out of the Box Theatrics, Holmdel Theatre Company and Blair Russell are the latest collective of theatre makers to sprinkle their magic on the piece, by challenging the norms and injecting fresh life into this musical theatre gem.

Filmed entirely in a New York apartment, Tony Award winner Jason Michael Webb both directs and musically directs the show; making a relatively confined living space feel so much larger and more interesting, with travelling shots from room to room, effective lighting, naturalistic filming and a nice, defined balance of fantasy and reality. The fact that the musicians, for instance, can be seen in clear sight and forming part of the action is very inspired.

The Last 5 Years can appear muddled if not well directed but both Jamie (Nicholas Edwards) and Cathy’s (Nasia Thomas) story arcs work in tandem perfectly here, pivoting on an axis during ‘The Next 10 Minutes’ before continuing on with their individual journeys. They reflect on their memories as opposed to reliving them, which gives more depth to the piece.

Musically, this has to be one of the most accomplished performances of Brown’s music. Slight embellishments have been made to the orchestrations whilst remaining faithful to the original score, and paired with the sensational vocals emanating from Thomas and Edwards makes for faultless, memorable viewing. Soul and gospel are not usually vocal tones associated with this musical but Thomas is exceptional in her delivery, with ‘A Summer in Ohio’ particularly impressive. Edwards is also a powerhouse and gives an incredibly stirring performance during ‘If I Didn’t Believe In You’: passionate, raw and beautiful.

Unlike many other productions, there is much more direct interaction between the performers here, which works really well and assists in painting a more accurate picture of their stories. Thomas and Edwards have an undeniable, totally believable chemistry and are a dream pairing.

Contemporary, engaging and very, very special.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Jenny Ell

The Last Five Years streams online until 28 March 2021 and tickets can be purchased now here.