Twopenny Theatre

This Cornish-flavoured take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous conceit – a boy who ages backwards – is a treat for the eyes, ears, and heart. Born as a seventy year-old man (offstage, mercifully), Benjamin Button (Benedict Salter at our performance) is immediately ostracised by his parents and confined to an attic, with only a view of the Moon for company. After a decade of wishing for just “a little bit of life”, he gains the strength to break out and saunters to the village’s local, where he instantly meets the “only woman he’ll ever love” – Elowen Keene (Clare Foster), a barmaid in her twenties who nevertheless has an eye for the man who appears thirty years her senior.

Of course, things can’t be that easy – and Benjamin’s “curious” life means his purpose and prospects are never straightforward. Aging in the wrong direction means he’s always going out of sync – with Elowen, his fishing boat-mates, and the world at large. All this is played earnestly, though, which makes some of Button’s more fairy-tale elements (beyond the premise) a little distracting. The elder Buttons’ immediate and sustained vitriol towards their son is evil villian-level, with minimal justification. That not even one person seriously catches on to Benjamin’s anti-aging for over 20 years robs the story of some drama and undermines the realism. And the constant references to time in the narration – days, hours, weeks, dates – cross the line from thematic stylisation to mere filler.

These are minor quibbles, however, in light of Button’s core strength – cultivating an altogether joyous and enchanting atmosphere. Scored with beautiful folk orchestrations and harmonies, the music alone is worth the price of admission. The full cast are actor-musicians, a rare treat, who sing and play with a vigour that makes the already-cosy Ambassador Theatre feel like just an extension of the local pub. Even on a day with several call-outs (so much so that writer/director Jethro Compton stepped in as a swing), you’d be hard-pressed to tell. The full-body act of making music together is a powerful formula for building connection among the cast and with the audience, elevating the emotional impact of the story.

A life-affirming tale set amongst the inviting sights and sounds of the Cornish coast, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is well-worth a little bit of your life.

Rating: ★★★★

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