Anna Burnside reviews ‘an enjoyable night out’.
Does the world need more Dex and Em? The ill-fated couple who meet on St Swithin’s Day in 1988 and spend a good deal of the following decades failing to get together began as a novel and are also a film and Netflix series.
Now, given our risk-averse culture’s addiction to existing IP, their story has become a high production value musical, book by David Greig and songs by Abner and Amanda Ramirez.
This universal familiarity with the story goes some way to addressing one of the key problems - there is a lot to shoehorn in. The key characters’ lives, which proceed in opposing directions, are well addressed.
Emma’s initial plans to write world-changing page turners is put on hold while she serves fajitas then teaches English and drama. Dexter’s charm makes him a natural for the venal world of 1990s post-pub TV. His coke and vodka-fuelled fall from grace unfolds in humiliating detail while her pivot from the classroom to successful YA novelist is harder to set to music.
All these episodes provide compelling set pieces, complete with sombreros, ravers and the Artful Dodger having a meltdown over a top hat.
Sharon Rose, as Emma, is hugely appealing, sparky and determined, whether she’s serving sub-par margaritas or directing the fifth years in Oliver. Jamie Muscato’s Dexter has a heavy cheeky chappie schtick which sails close to Hugh Grant pastiche. He’s saved by his vulnerable side, which comes out in his solos.
With so much Em and Dex to pack in, other characters suffer. Emma’s first partner, Ian, is reduced to a whiny clown while Dexter’s wife, Sylvie, is underdeveloped to the point of transparency.
The staging, in a transformed Lyceum with raked seating at the back of the stage, is delightful. A revolving set works on a practical and creative level, showing both sides of the auditorium the action while marking the passage of time. Wardrobe and wigs do a good job of marking the passage of time. The band, hiding in two of the boxes, bring high level musical to a relatively small theatre.
One Day is an enjoyable night out, especially if you enjoy weeping over a plot with which you are already familiar. You can even buy branded tissues at the merch stall. Maybe one day a story that is not already available in multiple formats will get a similar treatment.
One Day: The Musical performs at The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh until April 19, 2026. For further details, go to the theatre’s website.
Photo by Mihaela Bodlovic.
RSS