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It cannot be denied that Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler are some of the finest musical theatre performers of their generation, so when a staged concert of The Last 5 Years featuring Platt, Zegler and the show's composer Jason Robert Brown at the helm, it was unsurprising that theatre fans (myself included) rushed to get tickets for their six-day London run. As was anticipated, the performace itself was a masterclass in storytelling and singing, making the Palladium audiences cry and laugh simultaneously. Jason Robert Brown's incredible score and musical direction allowed both performers to make the music their own and show their own interpretations of the characters, creating a full of life Jamie and a hopeful Cathy (before the story turns of course...)

But beyond the performances themselves, this production led me to question something - should we be seeing more staged concert versions of shows? We've recently seen Lambert Jackson staging concert versions of Songs for a New World, Carousel, Once and Bare amongst others and the popularity of these productions shows that this concept is something that theatre fans can get behind. As The Last 5 Years typically needs less scenery and set than other shows it lends itself perfectly to this concert format, but could other shows also benefit from this setting? COVID saw the Les Miserables staged concert version, showing how shows with more scenery can work in this environment, and I personally believe that other shows should be given this treatment. Imagine a concert version of beloved shows such as Come From Away or Into The Woods! Sure, some aspects may be lost due to the lack of staging and dancing, but what is gained is a chance to showcase the music itself. As long as audiences know that they are seeing a reduced version of the show, it can only be seen as a positive, giving shows the chance of a short-term run and a revival that might otherwise be out of the question...and the opportunity to showcase new performers or those not typically seen in the UK (such as Platt and Zegler) never goes amiss!

Concert tours have been very popular for performers like Samantha Barks, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Lucie Jones, but I wonder if this can be extended further to concert productions too? Having only a few dates in each city would increase audience interest and the lack of staging would make it significantly easier for theatres to house, giving audiences nationwide a chance to see something that would otherwise only be accessible for those within travelling distance of London. The thrill of seeing something with a short run will never go away, the excitement of being one of the few audience members to see a specific production is something that fans all around love to have, so surely ticket sales would be no issue at all! 

In my view, if the show and its music lend itself to the possibility of a staged concert version then this is something that should be embraced and explored. I believe that this will be the case in the future so, as they say, watch this space!