Make every second count.
It was all just a matter of time. And finally, the wait is over. The foot-stomping and award-winning musical, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, arrives in London’s West End after capturing hearts and selling out at Southwark Playhouse.
With a breathtaking soundtrack brought to life by an extraordinary actor-musician ensemble, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic short story is relocated to a fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall by writing team Jethro Compton and Darren Clark.
Under the light of a full moon, something most curious occurs... Benjamin Button is born old.
Bound to the fate of growing younger each day, Benjamin wants nothing more than to live a little life. But will he ever find a place to belong? Only time and tide will tell...
An electrifying journey through the timeless tale of a love that defies all odds, join us with friends and loved ones at The Ambassadors Theatre for a unique chance to catch this enchantingly beautiful and truly unordinary new musical. You’ll love every second.
Sondheim stated that musicals aren’t written but rewritten, and watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’s evolution from a tiny but profound gem in Southwark Playhouse’s smallest space to a fully-fledged West End show has been an extraordinary pleasure. I reckon the great Stephen would’ve approved of Jethro Compton and Darren Clark’s distillation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s tall tale about a man born old who ages backward to infancy, with its intelligent storytelling through song, piercing wit, and an electrifying emotional charge that seldom lapses into sentimentality. Already one of the best British musicals in decades, in this newest iteration, it looks like a world-beater.
Clark’s melodies are sinuous and restless: it comes as no surprise to see him name-checking that powerhouse folk band Bellowhead in the programme notes. The lyrics, rich in references to the cyclical nature of all life (The Tide Is Comin’ in is a highlight of the second half) form an affecting blend of poetry and the down-to-earth. Chi-San Howard’s choreography is steeped in a sense of community.
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