Fulham's New Theatre Opens with Smashing Ordinary Days

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Penny Flood enjoys a mini-opera about life and love in New York

Fulham’s very smart new theatre, upstairs at the Eel Brook pub on New Kings Road has opened with a smashing production of Ordinary Days, a musical performed by four young, enthusiastic, and very talented young people.

More mini-opera than musical, Ordinary Days is set in New York where these four young people are trying to make their way through life.

There’s student Deb (Olga-Marie Pratt), aspiring artist and poet Warren (Anton Tweedale), woman with a secret Claire (Marcia Brown) and her smitten boyfriend Jason (Oliver Walton). They are accompanied throughout by pianist Thomas Lees.

They’ve all got terrific voices and they belt out 19 songs which tell a story about love, life and growing up and how to make it on your own in New York.

These people all have dreams but if they’re going to make those dreams come true there’s a lot of stuff they have to face up to and how they do it is what this is all about. It’s sweet, funny (at times hilarious), sad (almost heart breaking) and mysterious but always optimistic  and of course it all comes right in the end.

It’s a slick, professional production and full marks to director Ray Rackham and the rest of the team who put it together.

Overall I’d say it’s great fun and an excellent way to spend 80 minutes. It also sets a very high standard for the new theatre and if they keep it up Fulham’s got a lot to look forward to.  

Ordinary Days runs until March 29.

Tickets cost £15, £13 concessions or you can book a combined ticket for the first three productions from the London Theatre Workshop website.

For more information, email info@londontheatreworkshop.co.uk or call 07817 327 330.

March 14, 2014