The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London.
27th May 2023
Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby and The Tender and the Damned, and subsequent film starring Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is in Cornwall and tells the story of a love that defies all odds. Trapped in a body where he doesn’t belong – a body where he ages in reverse, Benjamin Button dreams of freedom, adventure and, most of all, love. Finally, after meeting local girl Elowen Keene their lives begin to move in reverse and when war calls Benjamin across the seas, time is not their only enemy. This production made its debut in 2019 and the creative team have worked tirelessly rearranging and reworking this beautiful musical to bring it back to the stage even bigger, better and more emotive than before.
This musical does what most other productions can hope for. From the moment that the lights go down the audience is drawn in; hook, line and sinker and are thrown on a rocky ride through Benjamin Button’s life. Full of charm and heart, Darren Clark’s music which manages to draw influences from Celtic folk, sea shanty’s and more modern influences such as Mumford and Sons, mixes together effortlessly to create an innovative, outstanding score. The intricate harmonies reverberate around the small auditorium and fill the space gloriously. With clever lyrics, stunningly beautiful acapella moments and even some Cornish thrown in this is certainly not a typical musical. Unique in its approach; it is fresh and creative. One of the biggest changes from its original production is that the cast has swelled from just five to twelve, each playing multiple instruments. This change has made the music even more powerful and the rich layers are beautiful.
Jethro Compton’s idea to set this production in a small Cornish fishing village within living memory makes the show even more relatable. With the folklore and mythology often associated with Cornwall it also makes for the perfect setting. The multi layered set is brilliant and the use of wooden crates and planks being the only main props is simple yet effective. Once again, the production uses salvaged items, washed ashore in North Cornwall with the help of the Cleaner Seas Project. These items helps transports the audience to a rustic Cornish village with the rough wood floors, wooden crates, fishing baskets and rope. One notable change from the original production is the removal of the puppets. In this production Benjamin’s children are played by cast members. Whilst this is a shame as the puppetry shown previously was superb, it doesn’t affect the storyline too much and the cast are all excellent in role. The stunning lighting, by Zoe Spurr, enhances the show and makes it even more mythical and engaging. Anna Kesley’s costumes are exquisite and cleverly adapted to show the passing of time, particularly in the case of Benjamin himself in his own unique way. The detailed garments have refer to the Cornwall sea, sky and nature with the palette being very natural and the intricate embroidery of urchin, moss and flowers.
The story is beautifully told throughout by an extremely talented cast who play multiple roles. Not only this but they also play all of the accompaniment using various traditional instruments including the violin, fiddle, drum, piano, accordion and cello. The cast are athletes! Each cast member plays multiple roles and remain onstage throughout the show. The emotion portrayed during the show is second to none and each cast member remains fully in character for the entire piece. Molly Osborne is fantastic as Elowen Keene, managing to portray true emotion and sing from the heart. Jamie Parker is excellent as Benjamin Button. He shows a masterclass in acting from the anguish his character goes through to the comic moments, which are so cleverly written into the script. Philippa Hogg also stands out as Mary Button and her moving song ‘The Kraken’s Lullaby‘.
Every element has been thought through during this production. Originally, Jethro Compton wanted to re-create the story, to bring it to life and capture our imaginations. In the 2019 production he already achieved this, however this newer, updated production is even better! Somehow it manages to be even more moving, funny and heart warming. There were few dry eyes by the end of the show. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a prime example of what theatre can do. It takes the audience on a journey both emotionally and through time and does so extremely well.
One of the main themes running through the production is of time. Constant references to the years, months, days, minutes and even seconds highlight the passing of time always. In fact, one of the most memorable songs entitled ‘Matter of Time’ highlights just that: time is something we all have. We cannot speed it up, nor slow it down. But instead we should make the most of the time we have and you should certainly do that by racing down to the Southwark Playhouse Elephant to see it now!
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is running at the Southwark Playhouse until the 1st July 2023. For information and tickets click here.
Photo Credit: Juan Coolio
Musical Manda 
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