Jason Robert Brown’s Drama Desk Award winning musical, The Last Five Years, is an emotionally powerful and intimate show about two New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.
The musical’s unconventional structure unfolds as Cathy tells her story in reverse, from the end of their turbulent relationship, whilst Jamie tells his story chronologically from the spark of their initial meeting. The two characters meet only once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.
On 16 March 2020, the production was cut short due to the global pandemic. In October 2020, Southwark Playhouse welcomed back the same production (with added Perspex and socially distanced audiences). In this bold new actor-musician production, the actors were on stage at all times and playing the piano to add a new narrative dimension to the story, accompanied by a four piece band.
Following the success of the production, The Last Five Years was streamed internationally from 26 to 29 November 2020 and again from 29 January to 14 February 2021.
★★★★ “A terrific production. This magnificently bittersweet musical meets London’s most striking safety measures.” Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out
★★★★ “A glorious sparkling revival, remounted for the Covid age.” Ava Wong Davies, The Independent
★★★★★ “It’s a blast, a rollercoaster of jazz and blues and ballad and rock and vaudeville and at one point klezmer; the most joyously exuberant, emotionally rackety return imaginable for the valiant London fringe. I loved it.” Libby Purves, TheatreCat
★★★★ “Musically, dramatically and conceptually superior to any revival I’ve seen.” Caroline Cronin, Broadway World
★★★★★ “You won’t have seen a better production of The Last Five Years… It is the definitive production. Beg, borrow or steal a ticket.” WhatsOnStage
★★★★★ “Jason Robert Brown’s song cycle revitalised.” The Stage
★★★★ “A quicksilver delight… Restlessly inventive.” Time Out
Details
Theatre: The Large
Mon – Sat: 7.30pm
Tue & Sat: 5pm
Running Time: 90 mins (no interval)
No interval and no re-entry.
We strongly advise that you arrive early and take your seats in advance of the start time as there is a no latecomers policy.
Video
The Company
Oli Higginson
Jamie Wellerstein
