The Land of Might-Have-Been

Buxton International Festival's first original musical is an absolute winner; as charmingly delightful as it is emotionally impactful, this Ivor Novello musical has all the beauty of a true golden age musical, while bringing the touching WWI story of Vera Brittain into the 21st century with style.

2023 appears to be the year of 'golden age jukebox musicals that weren't actually written in the golden age of theatre'. First Roman Holiday, celebrating the music of Cole Porter, then with the Gershwins for Crazy For You; the latest addition to this joyfully nostalgic roster is the brand new The Land of Might-Have-Been which tells the semi-fictional tale of the pacifist Vera Brittain and her family using the gorgeous catalogue of wartime composer Ivor Novello. It would be hard to notice that this tightly crafted musical wasn't plucked straight from the 1930s with its brilliant score and period accurate tonality, yet the show also manages to be refreshingly modern, bringing to light contemporary sensibilities and a perceptive nuance to its themes.

From the opening trills of the lusciously orchestrated overture, it's apparent that this is a show transporting us to a long gone form of entertainment; call me old fashioned, but I adore the musical melodrama of the golden age of theatre, and thanks to a tight score, lyrics and additional arrangements by Iain Farrington, Michael Williams and Iwan Davies respectively, the score has the quality of a time capsule. The score of the show is nothing short of a fantastic achievement, seamlessly blending classic Novello standards, brand new arrangements and subtle underscoring that interweave into a soundtrack that feels perfectly cohesive. Impressively, Williams and Farrington delicately adapt the lyrics of the many well known tunes to fit the plot, carefully avoiding the disconnected nature of many jukebox scores. All of this is accompanied by a 14 piece orchestra that sparkles and thrills; its an understatement to say that The Land of Might-Have-Been is a treat for the ears.

The lighting and set design of the piece must also be commended - this may be a reasonably low budget production, yet Nicky Shaw's set and Jake Wiltshire's perfectly subtle and minimalist visual creation is a masterclass of how 'less is more'. Gentle washes of orange and blue hues bathe the glowing stage, as 4 pillars fly in and out, doubling as marble columns, train station pillars and birch tree trunks. It makes for a simplistic genius that captures the intimate romanticism of the scene, while also the grandeur of such a story. As the story progresses, scenic elements are flown into scene - flags, signs, swings and hills - making for an understated kineticism to an otherwise static stage.

If there is one element of the show to criticise, it would unfortunately be the inconsistency of the book; William's writing for much of the first act feels somewhat stoic, unnatural and archaic, lacking any sense of nuance or implicit meaning. Perhaps this was in some attempt to reflect the stiflingly unfeeling nature of the pre-war upper class, however, in the process the musical occasionally feels like an outdated and stale relic rather than the inventive new production that it is. That being said, as we enter act two and the first world war begins, everything begins to click and for the concluding hour the musical is purely win after win.

Opening after the interval with a lively ensemble number, the show quickly adapts its tone to the now wartime society of Britain, turning its attention to the separation caused as young men left to fight. That's not to say the second half is all gloom and doom: the witty ditty And Her Mother Came Too is one of the highlights of the evening providing the biggest laughs and brilliant physical comedy, cleverly prevent the tone from becoming too harrowing. That being said, when the show wishes to be serious, it absolutely succeeds. A phenomenal 15 minute sequence at Charing Cross station marks the clear standout of the musical, bringing tears to the audience's eyes as couples are tragically torn apart. Equally, unexpected staging transforms the space into the war torn no-man's-land of France, a stark contrast to the glitzy grandeur that opened the show, and brings with it a solemness to the plot's darkest moments. An unfortunately clunky and unnecessary framing device of an older Vera Brittain closes the show as it opened, however the finale of We'll Gather Lilacs makes for a wonderfully rousing and touching close to the show.

it takes a while to get going, but once the show finds its stride and strength, The Land of Might-Have-Been is a monumental hit for all the senses - for the eyes, for the ears and for the heart. With a perfect score and a brilliant production design helmed by director Kimberly Sykes, I urge you to give this fantastic new show a chance, and allow yourself to be reminded why the golden age of musicals was so golden.

The Land of Might-Have-Been plays at Norwich Theatre from 25th to 30th July

https://norwichtheatre.org/whats-on/the-land-of-might-have-been/#book

[Watched 21/07/23]

Photography credit: Norwich Theatre