Powerhouse performances and thought-provoking writing
Midnight at the Never Get, Mark Sonnenblick’s stirring portrayal of love, ambition and oppression, is a great success from start to end. Taking place in the eponymous underground club and spanning from the 60s through to the 80s, this show follows the lives and love of two men as they try to forge a career and partnership in a world that adores their art yet criminalises the thing that inspires it, writes Melina Block.
Broadway star Ben Platt is masterful as singer Trevor Copeland, guiding the audience through his tragic relationship with songwriter Arthur Brightman, portrayed by the also excellent Gregor Milne. Both actors lean into the complexity and depth of their characters, foregoing predictable clichés in favour of nuanced, heartachingly honest performances. The Chocolate Factory’s unique design, more like a jazz club than a typical theatre, lends itself perfectly to the atmospheric, dimly lit Greenwich Village cabaret club where Trevor and Arthur unveil their new show each week. Platt’s singing is as pitch perfect as you would expect from someone who has won a Tony and Grammy (and Emmy), transfixing the audience as he croons alongside Milne’s deft piano playing.
As the story of Trevor and Arthur’s outlawed love story unfolds, we are invited to question just how accurately Trevor is recalling their romance, as well as both his and his lover’s choices. Were Trevor’s feelings truly reciprocated? How much of a duty does one owe to the community they belong to, whether they like it or not? How much is too much to sacrifice in the pursuit of success? No easy answers are given, instead the show reflects on the sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly reality of the human experience—in particular how external forces can shape that experience.
With powerhouse performances and thought-provoking writing, Midnight at the Never Get is a must-see show.
Menier Chocolate Factory until September 12th.
Booking and full details: https://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/
