The Jonathan Larson Project
Rating: ★★★
Venue: Southwark Playhouse Borough, London

The Jonathan Larson Project is a show about a young man following his heart in New York City trying to change the world. The show offers a rare and exhilarating window into Larson’s creative world, featuring previously unheard songs from the late composer’s archives. They illuminate the artistry, activism, and restless imagination of one of musical theatre’s most influential voices.

Jonathan Larson was undeniably one of the best writers musical theatre has seen in decades, and every song in this show serves as a reminder of his sheer passion and talent. This 90-minute production features a range of numbers that were never included in any of Larson's works, and some which have never been publicly performed at all. 

Every track meets the standard we have come to know and love of Jonathan Larson, and it is lovely to have a memorial of him and his work like this, but I do feel that the piece needs further dramaturgy before it's ready for an audience.

I am a huge supporter of the Southwark Playhouse, and have seen such a wide variety of shows here over the years, but I just don't think it was the right venue for the Jonathan Larson Project. One of Jonathan's most successful musicals was tick tick boom, which is presented as a documentary of his life as a writer and creative. It feels to me that the Jonathan Larson Project could benefit from a similar treatment, possibly with one actor playing Jonathan and showing the development of these songs, or possibly the group could be portraying an amateur performing company who have found the sheet music and are working to put it together for the first time.

Whichever way you look at it, this show really needed a storyline - something to link the numbers together. The transitions between each track were smooth, and it was nice to see more movement than I expected from what is effectively a concert; however I just wasn't as engaged as I would have been if there was some sort of plot to follow. Perhaps verbal introductions to each number or anecdotes of Jonathan peppered throughout would have been enough. 

Instead, a projector was used to share brief information about each song such as the title, the score it was from, and the year of its conception. While the screen added to the bohemian feel of the set (which was beautifully designed by Nate Bertone, but perhaps not used particularly creatively) it was frustrating to see that none of the footage included was captioned. Embedding access into productions takes a lot of additional time and effort, but when video design is the backbone of your show, it seems like a wasted opportunity not to have captions available.

This was relevant even to non-disabled audiences as the sound quality was so poor. I actively missed multiple lyrics when the performers were not directly facing me, and I heard similar things from other audience members throughout the auditorium.

Despite this it's safe to say that the cast were incredibly talented. Marcus Collins had my attention at almost all times, with both his voice and general demeanour - an absolutely commanding stage presence.

Edward Flynn Haydon made his Michael debut on the evening of my attendance and it was so impressive to see him fly across the stage as if he'd been on for this role for a week. There was not a single moment missed or fumbled, and credit must be given for understudies always, but to be swung on the day after press night is a huge demand! 

For fans of Jonathan Larson, buying tickets to this show will be an absolute must. And if you enjoy his music I would really recommend it. However if you are looking for a mind-blowing night of theatre, or something for the whole family, I might suggest taking a look elsewhere.

You can book tickets to see The Jonathan Larson Project, here.