A folkie musical adapted from F Scott Fitzgerald’s short story about a man who lives life in reverse, relocated to 20th century Cornwall? I approached this prospect with dread, only to find myself both charmed and moved. Writer Jethro Compton and composer Darren Clark’s show, first conceived in 2019, has a directness and simplicity that goes straight for the heart. It features a tight ensemble of actor-musicians led by Jamie Parker in the title role. Their harmonies alone are a source of joy.
Compton, a Cornishman, wrote the book and co-wrote the wittily lolloping lyrics with Clark (sample: “He handed her a saucer/already fantasising about the day he would divorce her”). He also directs and designs a production infused with a potent sense of home and a yearning to belong. Three decades ago I spent a blissful, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve locked in a gaslit pub in Fenland listening to strangers effortlessly jam with fiddles, guitars and bodhran drums: this show reminded me of that night.
