This exuberant, inclusive musical tells the true story of teenage rugby star Henry Fraser, who was paralysed from the shoulders down in a holiday swimming accident in 2009 but went on to become a successful painter. It’s a hymn to the human spirit, the medical profession and the complicated dynamics of a loving, middle-class family. Though its raucous good humour sometimes dissolves into sentiment, it’s one of the most uplifting, heart-swelling shows I’ve seen in ages. No, I’m not crying: you’re crying.
The poppy score and cheerfully sweary script are built around a dialogue between post-accident Henry (Ed Larkin, who uses a wheelchair), and the able-bodied younger self (Jonny Amies) he needs to forgive and then let go. A version of this dynamic – involving guilt, regret and resentment – also plays out between Henry’s parents (Linzi Hateley) and Alasdair Harvey) and his three blokey, rugger-bugger brothers.
