The Last Five Years is Green Room’s debut
Fledgling touring musical theatre company debuts at Storytelling centre
By Thom Dibdin
Green Room, a new Edinburgh-based company formed to tour musical theatre, is making its debut performance at the Scottish Storytelling Centre this week with a production of The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown.
The production stars Sarah Haddath and Michael Davies as a young New York couple – rising novelist Jamie Wellerstein and struggling actress Cathy Hyatt – who fall in and out of love over a period of five years. The one-act musical is based on Jason Robert Brown’s own failed marriage.
Indeed, it follows Brown’s marriage so closely that his ex-wife forced him to change one song to reduce the similarity between herself and the character of Cathy.
The intriguing element of the show, which draws on a mixture of musical styles from pop to classical, lies in its structure. Jamie’s view of the marriage is told in simple chronological order, from his first meeting to their last good-bye. Cathy’s, however, is told in reverse – starting with her lamenting the end of their marriage and working back to their first parting.
Even when they are on stage together the two characters do not interact, except in the middle as their timelines intersect at their wedding.
After two nights at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the 5th and 6th of October, The Last Five Years tours to the Birnam Institute, Birnam, for a night on Saturday, followed by a performance at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on Saturday 9th.
The formation of Green Room has been under discussion by director Michael Richardson and musical director Neil Metcalfe since 2009. Both trained in worked professionally in opera before spending time working with young people – experiences which lead them to define four key aims for the company.
Firstly they wanted to use a broad definition of the term “musical theatre” – allowing them to include all forms of storytelling that use music to communicate with their audience. Secondly they committed to create “high quality, innovative and intensely theatrical productions using a diverse range of dramatic forms”. Thirdly they wanted the company to work with, support and nurture young singing actors, and finally it should tour widely throughout Scotland, the UK and internationally.
Green Room finally came into existence in early 2011 when they discussed their ideas with Sarah Haddath and Michael Davies.
Tickets for the Scottish Storytelling Centre performances are £12 and £10 available on the door of call 131 556 9579. Performances start at 7.30pm.
The Green Room Website is at www.greenroom.uk.com/
ENDS
