Once
★★★★☆ Marvellously melodic
Pitlochry Festival Theatre: Sat 23 May – Sat 27 Jun 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
Once, the musical that opens the Alan Cumming era at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, has all of the trappings of a Big Event. And it certainly does not disappoint.
The 2011 musical has a book by Enda Walsh adapted from the screenplay by John Carney for the 2007 movie. The stage show, like the film, features songs written by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. A hit on Broadway and the West End, the musical has never been seen in Scotland before (partly due to a proposed tour being banjaxed by COVID) and the Pitlochry production reunites the original creative team under director John Tiffany.
Dylan Wood. Pic Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
The Dublin-set musical features central characters known only as Guy (Dylan Wood) and Girl (Lydia White). Guy, an unhappy busking hoover-repairer, meets Girl, a piano-playing Czech, who insists that he should not abandon his music. A promising musical relationship follows, as well as a more tentative personal one, with an assortment of quirky characters in the background.
Wood’s Guy has a brooding charisma that is only enhanced by the rumpled edges he gives the character, and he is exceptionally at home with a guitar in his hand. White’s Girl is similarly convincing, with a spiky poignancy and an undeniable chemistry with Guy.
an attractive proposition
The production is set in an Irish bar, with Bob Crowley’s gorgeous design incorporating countless mirrors. Throughout, the cast are on stage providing the musical accompaniment, playing a bewildering variety of instruments.
This idea may not be as novel to Scottish audiences as it is elsewhere, what with us being reared on a diet of musician-performers and ceilidh-musicals for decades. However, it is still an attractive proposition, especially when done as brilliantly as it is by all concerned here.
Allison Harding, Loris Scarpa, Lydia White, Loren O’Dair, Jos Slovick and Dylan Wood. Pic Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
There is huge talent throughout the cast, with Laurie Jamieson as a puppyish bank manager, Allison Harding forbidding as Girl’s mother, and Sean McLevy puckish as Guy’s Da. Charlie West is exceptionally funny as larger-than-life music shop owner Billy. Loris Scarpa, Jos Slovick and the excellent Loren O’Dair are Girl’s housemates, and Connor Going is recording studio engineer Eamon.
Good as the individual performers are, the sum of their parts is undoubtedly greater. There’s a real feeling of ensemble here, with the dramatic and musical elements knitting together into a highly impressive whole.
This is certainly one of those musicals where one song towers above the rest; in this case, Falling Slowly, already an Oscar winner before the show ever took to the stage. However, the rest of the songs do have considerable impact. This is thanks in part to the cleverness of Martin Lowe’s orchestrations and to Clive Goodwin’s careful sound design, which makes clever use of the space.
full-band rave-up
In particular, the way When Your Mind’s Made Up builds from acoustic duet to full-band rave-up is very pleasing, while the a cappella reprise of Gold has a wonderful delicacy.
There is tremendous energy, and a beautifully considered ebb and flow, to Tiffany’s direction. Aided greatly by Steven Hoggett’s movement direction, the rhythm within scenes (and between scenes) is remarkable. Natasha Katz’s lighting is versatile and distinctive.
Charlie West with Laurie Jamieson Pic Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
Despite all of the care lavished on the production, there is a nagging and unavoidable feeling of slightness, which is what ultimately stops what is a very fine production from being a bona fide five-star show.
Even with the backstory of struggle given to Girl, there is a definite whiff of ‘manic pixie dream girl’ to the character, and the whole story (despite its praiseworthy refusal to stick to expectations) does have the air of wish-fulfilment or fairy tale.
However, that might just be another way of saying that it’s a musical. And there can be no denying that this is tremendous entertainment – melodic, beautifully performed and staged, and terrific fun all round.
Running time: Two hours and 25 minutes (including one interval).
Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Port-na-craig Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5DR
Saturday 23 May – Saturday 27 June 2026
Wed – Sat at 7.30 pm; Matinees Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun at 2pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Laurie Jamieson, Jos, Slovick, Loren O’Dair, Sean McLevy, Charlie West, Allison Harding and Loris Scarpa. Pic Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
ENDS
