Then, Now and Next - Southwark Playhouse Review

★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Penny

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

New British musicals have been making their presence felt in the West End over the last few months. Shows like Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Sylvia and Operation Mincemeat have enjoyed critical and audience acclaim. Newly opened at the Southwark Playhouse’s Borough venue, Then, Now & Next is another new show with some impressive names behind it. Written by Christopher J Orton and Jon Robyns, it is the first offering from a new partnership and while it definitely shows huge potential, it sadly falls a little flat.

The story centres around Alex (Alice Fearn) and the two different men she has loved. As the show starts, we meet her and her partner Peter (Peter Hannah), bickering over who is going to get up to answer the cries of their young child. We then rewind to a scene with Alex and her previous partner Stephen (Joaquin Pedro Valdes), who she loved and lost when she was younger. This loss has a huge impact on her life and ability to fully commit to Peter which we see as the action unfolds.

The show doesn’t have a linear structure, jumping around in time and between the two relationships. It’s a little confusing at first but under the very clear direction of Julie Atherton, it doesn’t take long to relax into this narrative style. It’s very well paced with smooth transitions between scenes, with the three main characters supported by Tori Allen-Martin and Justin Brett who take on a variety of roles as the show progresses.

The set, designed by Bob Sterrett, is simple but very effective. Mostly white, it reflects the lack of colour in Alex’s life, with the cast moving various bits of furniture around the small stage space to set each scene.

Peter Hannah (Peter), Alice Fearn (Alex Shaw) - credit Pamela Raith (3).jpg

Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Stephen), Alice Fearn (Alex Shaw) - credit Pamela Raith (2).jpg

The four piece band, under the musical direction of Honor Halford-MacLeod, produces a rich sound that belies its size, and you can’t help but be reminded of the music of Jason Robert-Brown. The melodies are lovely and easy to listen to but lack a truly memorable and stand-out number that you’ll be humming as you leave the theatre.

The story shows us the fairly ordinary lives that Alex shares with her two partners, dealing with everyday problems, hopes and aspirations. But it also includes some very OTT comedy scenes, largely delivered by Tori Allen-Martin. She has fantastic comic timing, bringing different quirks to each of the characters she plays – including Alex’s self-obsessed sister, a gobby partygoer and insensitive HR manager. Although you can’t fault her performance, for me these characters were a very jarring contrast with the main trio of actors and their more understated performances. Their inclusion meant that the emotional impact of the show was diluted with scenes that would be more suitable to a sketch show than a poignant story about love and loss. More successful for me were Justin Brett’s characters. They also added some comedy moments but were much less exaggerated. He also shared a beautifully written and performed scene with Alex at the end of the show that finally gave her some closure.

Playing the two loves of Alex’s life, Peter Hannah (Peter) and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Stephen) demonstrate impressive vocals and their voices blend beautifully in a stand-out duet about their love for Alex. Peter is a self-confessed film nerd and amateur magician, and Hannah delivers his random film quotes and sleight-of-hand tricks with confidence and charm – he is likeable, if a little unexciting. I found Stephen harder to care about, he felt more symbolic of the perfect partner than a fully rounded character.

The stand-out performance comes from Alice Fearn as Alex. Every time she sings, the show is elevated to something special. She has a phenomenal voice and her ability to tell a story through song is particularly effective in this intimate space. Her acting is natural, she has warmth and humour, making Alex feel very real. Fearn perfectly conveys the grief that her character experiences, giving a heartbreaking sense of helplessness and loss. She works ridiculously hard, only leaving the stage for quick costume changes, and delivers a perfectly nuanced performance, making her character the only one that I truly cared about.

Towards the end of the show, Alex declares that she is “fine”, and it is pointed out that she should be aiming for something much more than that. This, for me, sums up Then, Now & Next. As a show, it is fine, but it doesn’t quite land the emotional punch that you’d expect from such a strong idea. However, it’s a very promising debut and, to borrow from the show’s title, I will definitely be looking out to see what Orton and Robyns do next.