Clearly, we can’t get enough of David Nicholls’ tearjerker 2009 novel about soulmates Emma and Dexter, who spend the night together as students on July 15 1988 and who the story revisits on that day for the next 20 years, charting a dizzying selection of ups and downs. One Day was made into a film in 2011 and Netflix series a couple of years back, and now its final form of a musical.
It began life at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh earlier this year, where top playwright David Greig – the theatre’s outgoing artistic director – wrote the book, with songs by Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez, and direction from Max Webster, whose West End hits include Life of Pi and the NT’s The Importance of Being Earnest. It debuted in March with a cast headed by top West End stars Jamie Muscato (current Emcee in Cabaret) and Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Sylvia) and they’ll be the ones leading it to London glory as it moves to the Garrick Theatre.
There was some controversy about the fact that critics weren’t invited to its Edinburgh run, with the logic being that the producers wanted to keep their powder dry for the rapid London transfer. While it’s kind of a first world problem, it does mean that there is no critical word on whether it’s any cop or not, although world of mouth suggests it was decent and it did extend its initial run by a fortnight. Whatever the case, it’s not long until we find out.
By the by, this means that after a respectable run, the West End revival of The Producers will conclude in September, so if you were thinking of seeing it, you’d better get your skates on.
One Day is at the Garrick Theatre, booking Nov 17-Mar 14 2027.
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