“You invest in the characters. They are likeable, it’s not a story with edge or ugliness – there’s a purity and an authenticity.“
The score by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová is emotionally charged and brought some members of our audience to tears.
Once is something special. The cast loves it, the audience loves it.…“
– Julia Newbould
4 / 5 Guinnesses
Once again with feeling.
Once, the musical based on the 2007 movie of the same name by John Carney is a charming, energetic, touching, sweet show.
The stars are Toby Francis, who has owned the lead male role since the original production at Darlinghurst Theatre in 2019, and original lead Stefanie Caccamo who plays the girl. Neither have names. It is unnecessary. Francis is merely Irish guy and Caccamo is Czech girl.
Director Richard Carroll and movement director Amy Campbell are back again, too.
This time round the Irishness has become a little less the focus of the action, the spotlight stays firmly on Caccamo and Francis. Caccamo is strong, with a voice that commands attention, and an accent which she totally owns. Caccamo’s song – If You Want Me – is the powerhouse song for me. Her energy in this production is always on. And as she says, she’s “always serious, she’s Czech”.
Francis is perfect as her foil. His easy manner and comfort in the role makes you root for them to be a couple.
Caccamo’s powerful voice has seen her play Carole King in Beautiful and she was recently seen at the Hayes theatre as Eve Harrington in Applause (the musical version of All About Eve).
Once is the story of girl with broken vacuum cleaner who meets a boy with discarded guitar. Serendipitously, she finds that he mends vacuum cleaners and he finds that she can’t pay him in cash, only in music – and she plays piano.
Over a little Mendelssohn, they find that they have an understanding. And that leads to the poignant song Falling Slowly. Falling Slowly is the musical’s standout song – “I don’t know you, but I want you all the more for that. Words fall through me and always fool me and I can’t react.”
And so the scene is set.
Boy loses girl – but the girl isn’t the one in front of him, well not at first. It is one who has left Ireland for New York. Boy finds girl – but is the girl he’s found the right one? It’s a similar story from her side.
But this isn’t a typical love story, it’s one in the vein of Before Sunset, or Brief Encounter – just a chance meeting, that may or may not lead to more but may just be something once. First time round the season was sold out and played to nightly standing ovations. Nothing has changed in this iteration.
The audience is surrounded by music. The musicians – a talented ensemble – move beyond the stage up the stairs and position themselves around the auditorium to perform. This is just one way that the audience feels involved. The other is that the story is simple and draws you in. You care. You invest in the characters. They are likeable, it’s not a story with edge or ugliness – there’s a purity and an authenticity.
The score by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová is emotionally charged and brought some members of our audience to tears.
Drew Livingstone as the bank manager, stole his scenes. Gold, the male a cappella number at the end of act 1, is another musical treat. Rupert Reid as Billy seems like the bloke we all know and want to hug.
Once is something special. The cast loves it, the audience loves it.
Four Guinnesses – and another special mention for Caccamo
Julia Newbould, Theatre Now
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