Ordinary Days - A Musical, Old Joint Stock Theatre Birmingham Review
Photo by Perro Loco Productions
Written by Roni for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Birmingham’s Old Joint Stock is quickly establishing itself as a home for exciting and innovative theatre, with productions of Be More Chill and Bonnie and Clyde coming just this year alone. Despite its small stature, its productions still manage to pack a punch, and this latest offering is no exception, pulling together a stellar cast and crew to create something truly lovely.
Ordinary Days follows snippets of just that – the ordinary, everyday events of four people living, working and studying in New York City. We meet and follow Deb, a graduate student; Warren, a slightly lost young man working for a jailed artist; Jason, a hopeless romantic, which emphasises the hopeless; and his girlfriend Claire, who is lost in a cloud of past tragic events. Each has their own trials and tribulations to navigate in life, and when their individual events come to a head, the four may actually be connected by something extraordinary – the beauty and hope to be found in the everyday.
The space has been carefully adorned with umbrellas (which later become relevant to the plot), and the main set is made up of a series of boxes, frequently moved to create structures or to place the characters within the audience. This can be slightly jarring at times, but it does allow for a sense of relatability and familiarity with the characters from an audience perspective. Audience members are handed inspirational quotes, or ‘free artwork’ as they filter in, such as ‘the key to success opens many doors’, which is both cheesy and sweet in equal measure. The Old Joint Stock does the intimate feel well, and this latest production is no exception. The slight fly in the ointment, however, is the show’s sung-through score. The lack of dialogue leads to some very trite lyrics in an attempt to narrate the action, which can unfortunately feel quite dry and amateur at times.
This is, however, a lovely cast who feel at ease both with each other and the audience in such a small setting. Dora Gee is expressive and quick-witted as the loveable Deb, who becomes increasingly relatable as she struggles to find her path in life. James Edge is able to showcase his exquisite voice to the hilt in the role of Jason, and manages to have the audience sobbing in the show’s eleventh hour. Melisa Camba as Claire is a vocal masterclass, even if her melancholy part is sometimes lost amongst bigger characters, while Aidan Cutler has been perfectly cast once again, as the sunny and slightly bumbling Warren, with one of the most beautiful tenor voices you could hope to hear.
Overall, this is just a lovely little show. It sadly loses some of its charm in bogged down lyricism, but this cast carry it well. You’d be hard pressed to leave this one without just a little more hope for the world.
At Old Joint Stock Theatre until 20 April 2025
★★★★
