- BOOK by Enda Walsh
- MUSIC & LYRICS by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
In early July I took a trip to temple bar with some friends to see once the musical at the olyimpa. What happened next was unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced.
This is a truly a one of a kind musical experience, one which propelles itself outward from the land of musical theatre to sit somewhere between a play, a screenplay and a traditional Irish ‘session’, in the musical sense. If you often find that ‘musical theatre per se is not for you (….does those people exist) then this is a production I would highly recommend.
I had only heard the feature song ‘falling slowly’ previously having not seen the film staring Glen Hansard or any previous performance online or in person from its lengthly runs both on Broadway and the westend. I was thoroughly surprised and engage from the get go. Once was one of the most submersible theatre experiences I’ve had in quite a while, perhaps ever. That being said much of the score I won’t go home singing along to with the exception of the feature song previously mentioned.
However this is far from the point, this show pulls together so much or Irish life and culture and our people that it’s hard to believe it’s not real. The realism of character, setting and song all carried beautifully by the cast makes this an experience I shan’t forget. Possibly for the first time ever I was brought on a journey that happened in the streets of dublin, in a musical format, which depicts Ireland. These people could of been anyone I know, friends, family, neighbours. You totally don’t even care that the characters don’t have names, really, that’s kinda cool like…..
The real take away is not any fancy flying witches, or a tall as tall can be barricades. It is in the simplicity of the story and the story telling itself. Everything else falls to the seems of the moment and you suddenly find yourself submerged in a life and a dilemma comparable to that of heartfelt, personal and intense motion picture. Hard to replicate on stage but this succeeds, without question.
The unique element of actors who sing but who are also musicians makes this production quite unique and adds so much character and life to the work. Bearing in mind that all this occurs on your door step I think you would really be missing out on something possibly life changing if you didn’t see it at least once this summer at its home, untill September, the olyimpa. Unlike anything I’ve seen professionally, with an Oscar, 8 Tony awards, a Grammy and an Olivier to its name! I just can’t believe it took me Paige Diskin and 2017 to get there.
I want to go back… 4 Star’s****
Author: Alan young
Once runs until 26 AUGUST 2017.
Alan Young 