Mayflies

York Theatre Royal • Tues 9th May - Sat 13th May

There aren’t many theatrical productions I’d travel half-way across the country to see… but like most things in life, there are exceptions. When the production in question is a new, original musical by writer and composer Gus Gowland, it’s a no brainer that I’m going to try my best to get there. The name might sound familiar to regular readers of Jack The Lad magazine, or to anyone who was already checking out our theatre reviews way back in 2018, as it was then that I first discovered Gowland’s work with the excellent ‘Pieces Of String’. That journey, to Colchester’s Mercury Theatre, had been more speculative given his work at that time was unknown to me, but it quickly became apparent that I was watching one of those rare five star productions that just overflowed with talent, not only from Gowland’s clearly very capable pen, but from the equally impressive cast. Years later, two cast members, Joel Harper-Jackson and Andy Coxon, not only went on to become subjects for Jack The Lad’s ‘In Conversation’ feature, (Issue 28 and Issue 31 respectively) but also graced the front cover of their particular editions, both having gone on to enjoy successful careers, both of which the result of a very unusual set of circumstances. (You’ll have to read the interviews to discover their particular stories).

Against this backdrop however, I was very excited to see where Gowland’s work would take me next. Physically, it turned out to be the beautiful York Theatre Royal where the world premiere of his new musical Mayflies is being performed. It’s certainly refreshing to find theatres out of London being brave enough to take a chance on an original new musical, and to offer up the kind of resources they so desperately need and deserve, putting to shame the often less imaginative West End theatres who continue to feed their audiences an endless diet of jukebox-style musicals. It’s made all the more impressive as Mayflies takes a rather more innovative approach than most as it pushes the boundaries of what musical theatre is capable of, given that, depending on what night you go, you will see a different combination of the three-strong cast in the two lead rolls. With these being rotated for every performance there are actually three possible permutations of the play on offer, and having now seen two of these pairings (and already regretting not sticking around long enough to see the third) it’s clear this is no mere gimmick as, despite the staging, songs and scenario remaining the same, the relationship between the actors, and the nuances they have each clearly uncovered in their individual interpretations of the characters, gives the story that unfolds a unique energy and individual dynamism in each performance. The ending may stay the same, but the journey certainly feels altogether different.

This is made all the more interesting given that two of the cast members are female (Rumi Sutton & Emma Thornett) and one is male, (Nuno Queimado), and as the story revolves around two people meeting face to face for the first time after a two year online relationship, there is a lot to unpick within the different cast combinations including aspects of their gender, age, race and sexuality. That Gus is able to address all of this just by switching a cast member is impressive, the book and songs having been skilfully written to be performed by actors of either gender. Under these circumstances, as much as I might want to recommend seeing more than one performance of Mayflies, I know that not everyone is going to sit through multiple versions of this musical, (for those that are, tickets for second or third performances are on offer for just £15). So what is the experience like for those watching just one of the three possible combinations?

Well, the good news is that whatever version you end up seeing, Mayflies is sure to impress. Even before the show starts, the set design (TK Hay) and lighting (David Howe) are already screaming “quality” from the stage. At its centre is a hotel room, its solid dark wood doors and large piece of statement art on the walls giving me as much of a desire to book a room at this fictional location, as it did to sit and enjoy the show. It is here that the couple, May and Fly have finally arranged to meet, a moment that has taken two full years of online dating to come to fruition. That a large double-bed remains at the heart of the set brings an imposing physical pressure to a relationship that had previously lacked any expectations, it having been conducted online and at a distance, but as the room gets ever more claustrophobic for the couple, there is plenty of space that surrounds it on stage. With towering stairs at the back, and plunging blocks at the side and front, we are taken, via sporadic jumps in the couples timeline, through a series of key moments that sees the couple bond emotionally, and that would eventually bring them together physically. It is in the vast space around this central set that we watch them not only metaphorically dance through the rituals of online dating and all that entails, but through some well choreographed interludes, all skilfully directed by Tania Azevedo, we witness snapshots of an imagined, more idyllic outcome of the couples first meeting, only to watch it repeatedly crash back down to reality as their fantasy version of the moment continually fails to live up to reality, the conversation becoming as increasingly awkward as the couples body language.

Given that musical theatre is primarily what Gus Gowland has become best known for, his songs continue to have the ability to be both touchingly heartfelt and reflectively poignant, an example of which, ‘Running On Empty’ can be found on Spotify, which also typifies the rather stripped back, intimate approach to the instrumentation throughout, (allowing the performer’s impressive vocals to soar clearly above the melodies) These skills of composition had all been on show during ‘Pieces Of String’, and are once again on full display here. What came as a greater surprise for me this time around was just how deft Gowland is at writing comedy, there being a keenly observed sharpness of wit to the dialogue as the couples try to tease out some revealing facts about each other before deciding to meet. This balance between comedy and drama never feels anything other than well measured, the actors timing in the delivery of the lines only adding to the quality of writing on display here.

Having first experienced the pairing of Rumi Sutton (May) and Emma Thornett (Fly), I couldn’t help but wonder which of the two would be swapped out for the next performance, whilst simultaneously being unable to imagine the musical being played any other way. In that respect I can confirm that, yes, the play works if seen just the once, but to come back for a second performance and find Sutton being replaced by Queimado revealed that both the cast and the director clearly revelled in the potential for change that this new dynamic could bring. The relationship constructed between Sutton and Thornett felt more trepadacious and uncertain. There was a first-time naivety to Sutton’s version of May, and whilst Thornett as Fly wasn’t exactly manipulative, she felt more driven to move things from the emotional to the physical no matter what the consequences. To then team Thornett, (once again as Fly), with Queimado as May however, the relationship suddenly becomes a lot more flirtatious, both seemingly more on the same page, (initially at least), the banter becoming more playful in their hands, but their characters still unable to negotiate there way through the awkwardness of their first physical meeting. There is plenty of familiar relationship territory on offer in both scenarios, and many in the audience will no doubt be able to relate to one, if not more of the character traits and trappings being displayed here.

With Mayflies writer and composer Gus Gowland is on top form once again, delivering a witty, thought provoking and inclusive musical every bit as impressive as his previous outing, Pieces Of String. I hope Mayflies’ run at the York Theatre Royal isn’t the journeys end for this production, but I couldn’t think of a better place of it to start!

★★★★★

review: Simon J. Webb

photographs: Sam Taylor