The production of this new musical cuts back and forward in time between scenes of her relationship with two men over 20 years. Alex, played by Alice Fearn, is first seen in a stale married relationship with her over-enthusiastic boyfriend Pete, played by Peter Hannah, who is goofy and entertaining, likes movies and magic tricks, and is totally smitten by Alex.
Her heart is not with him, however, her mind basks in the glow of her relationship with Steve, played by Joaquin Pedro Valdes, a boyfriend of long ago who died while they were still in love. ‘Everything is fine’, Alex says but she will not move on.
Then, Now and Next is played enthusiastically by five actors, Alex and her two paramours with all other parts played by Justin Brett and Tori Allen-Martin. Allen-Martin got the most laughs of the evening for her over-the-top range of excellent characters who play against Alex’s gloom. She is a crude disco girl, an indifferent under-manager, an over-familiar ice-cream seller and a range of other small parts, the comic potential of which might have been wasted by another actress.
The stage is well crafted as a white domestic interior with white set props rolled on effortlessly to create numerous locations such as a hospital, a café or a police station.
The dialogue is sparky and perfectly catches the repetitive nature of Alex’s relationships, as she says to her therapist: ‘I want to hear him say sorry so I can tell him I don’t forgive him.’
The problem of the production is really the characterisation of Alex. When she is with the steady man she wants action, when she is with the active man she wants to settle down. She is the girlfriend you don’t want: she can’t make her mind up and is dissatisfied with everything. She is such a difficult character to love, one wonders what these two man saw in her. The resolution of this rather pedestrian personal dilemma: that she must let go of the dead boyfriend and live for the present, doesn’t seem to make her any happier. Why am I not surprised?
It was pleasing to see live musicians playing though there are no tunes the audience went out humming. Joaquin Pedro Valdes has an excellent voice and the duet he sings with Peter Hannah is a high point but too often the songs seem not to take the drama to a higher level, as they should in a musical, but rather they act as an interruption to the play’s momentum.
This is rather a good play, with well crafted lines, a smart pace and relatable subject matter. What it isn’t is a good musical.