The Jonathan Larson Project - Southwark Playhouse Borough

Sarah
8 minutes ago
3 min read

★★★★

Actors on a smoky stage raise paper cups around a piano, while audience members watch and applaud in warm red light. — Full company - photo credit Danny Kaan

Jonathan Larson's legacy is forever tied to Rent and tick, tick... BOOM!, two works that reshaped modern musical theatre. The Jonathan Larson Project offers audiences something rather different – an opportunity to hear songs that never quite found their place, alongside pieces written for cabarets, unfinished shows and forgotten projects. Rather than telling Larson's life story, this is a carefully curated collection of his lesser-known work, performed with passion by a first-class company.

If you're expecting a traditional musical with a beginning, middle and end, you may need to adjust your expectations. There is no real narrative linking the songs together beyond the fact that they all came from Larson's pen. Instead, the evening plays out more like a theatrical concert or revue, with each number standing alone. While that allows Larson's remarkable versatility to shine through, it also means the emotional momentum can feel uneven at times. I couldn't help feeling that closing the evening with one of the songs from Rent or tick, tick... BOOM! would have provided the perfect emotional full stop and sent audiences out on a real high.

That said, there is much to admire. Director John Simpkins keeps the production constantly moving, making imaginative use of Nate Bertone's flexible New York-inspired set, while Livi Van Warmelo's musical direction ensures Larson's eclectic score is performed with energy and style. The creative team successfully captures the raw, youthful spirit that runs through so much of Larson's writing without overcomplicating material that is, by its nature, a collection of individual snapshots rather than one complete picture.

The cast work tirelessly throughout the 90-minute running time, switching effortlessly between comedy, drama, satire and heartfelt ballads. Max Harwood brings sincerity and vulnerability to his solos, Marcus Collins proves once again what a gifted storyteller he is, Michael Mather delivers some of the evening's darker material with conviction, while Natalie Kassanga's soaring vocals are consistently impressive. Together they create a genuine ensemble, generously supporting one another and giving every song its own identity.

Woman on a dark stage sings or shouts into a hose, lit pink, wearing a white blouse and leopard scarf, with a chair in front. — Deranged cleaning! Photo credit Danny Kaan

For me, however, the standout performance belonged to Imelda Warren-Green. Her gloriously unhinged portrayal of the increasingly deranged housewife in Hosing the Furniture was simply priceless. Armed with a hosepipe and impeccable comic timing, she transformed what could have been an odd novelty song into one of the funniest moments of the evening. Every facial expression, every frantic movement and every perfectly judged comic beat drew huge laughs from the audience, while never losing sight of the character's unraveling state of mind. It was a masterclass in musical comedy and easily the performance I'll remember long after the curtain came down.

Not every song lands with equal impact, and perhaps that's inevitable when exploring material Larson himself never had the opportunity to refine or fully integrate into larger works. Yet there are fascinating glimpses throughout of the voice that would eventually produce two of the defining musicals of the late twentieth century. For fans of Jonathan Larson, this is a rare opportunity to discover another side of his extraordinary talent. It may not quite function as a fully satisfying musical in its own right, but it is an affectionate, entertaining and often moving celebration of an artist whose influence continues to be felt thirty years after his untimely death.

Cast Max Harwood, Marcus Collins, Natalie Kassanga, Michael Mather, Imelda Warren-Green. Covers: Georgie Butler, Edward Flynn Haddon.

Creative Team Music & Lyrics: Jonathan Larson

Conceived by: Jennifer Ashley Tepper

Director: John Simpkins

Musical Director: Livi Van Warmelo

Movement Director: Taylor Walker

Set Designer: Nate Bertone

Lighting Designer: Sam Biondolillo

Costume Designer: Jean Gray

Video Designer: Alex Basco Koch

Casting: Rob Kelly

The Jonathan Larson Project