Southwark Playhouse's actor-musician production of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, after streaming last year in the wake of the pandemic, will transfer to the West End this fall for a limited engagement.
The Jonathan O’Boyle-directed staging, which had been scheduled to reopen at the Vaudeville Theatre, will now begin previews September 17 at the larger Garrick Theatre with an official opening September 23. Performances will continue through October 17.
Molly Lynch (Sweeney Todd, The Light in the Piazza) and Oli Higginson (The Haystack, Bridgerton) will reprise their roles as Cathy and Jamie. The Southwark production was nominated for eight Offie Awards and won two, for Best Director and Best Musical Production. Higginson was also nominated for a Stage Debut Award.
The two-hander unfolds as Cathy, a struggling actor, tells her story in reverse, from the end of the turbulent relationship, while Jamie, a literary prodigy, tells his story chronologically from the spark of their initial meeting. In the musical, the two characters meet only once, at their wedding.
The creative team also includes choreographer Sam Spencer-Lane, set and costume designer Lee Newby, lighting designer Jamie Platt, and sound designer Adam Fisher. The musical director is Leo Munby; casting is by Jane Deitch.
The musical is produced at the Garrick Theatre by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Eilene Davidson Productions, Edward Prophet, People Entertainment Group, with Dan Looney, Adam Paulden and Jason-Haigh Ellery for DLAP Group, David Treatman, and Max Johnson.
