Review: THE LITTLE BIG THINGS, @sohoplace

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

Based on the bestselling memoirs of Henry Fraser, The Little Big Things is a remarkable story of triumph over adversity. But this stunning new production is also a triumph for new British musical theatre and is surely set to take the West End by storm.

Henry Fraser had the world at his feet - literally. By 2009, he was the most promising rugby player in his county and looked set for a successful career in the sport. However, his world came crashing down when a freak accident while on holiday with his brothers in Portugal left the 17-year-old paralysed from the shoulders down - his life changed forever.

The first thing to say about The Little Big Things is that while it is undoubtedly a show steeped in positivity and acceptance, it refuses to shy away from the harsh realities of becoming newly disabled. After crushing his spinal cord, we see Henry in a wheelchair (Ed Larkin) maintaining a constant dialogue with the ‘old’, able-bodied Henry (Jonny Amies).

Both Henry’s give phenomenal performances as the character navigates his way through his new reality. While we are introduced to Larkin as a sort of narrator, burdened with the knowledge of what is to come for the younger, innocent Henry, that dynamic is ultimately turned on its head. Soon, the disabled Henry is haunted by his former self as he grapples for answers.

Larkin is deeply moving in his portrayal, using humour to combat his undoubted feelings of injustice and desperation. His interactions with Amies’ Henry, a brooding, more confident figure, are mesmerising but grow ever more fraught. Despite its subject matter, The Little Big Things is mercilessly funny and Henry’s no-nonsense, straight-talking physio Agnes (Amy Trigg), who also uses a wheelchair, steals every scene she is in as her one-liners grow ever more biting.

The Fraser family dynamic is well-developed and continues to evolve. Mum Fran (Linzi Hateley) is gripping as she is told her son has suffered life-changing injuries, laying every raw emotion bare in ‘One to Seventeen’. Dad Andrew (Alisdair Harvey) is quietly affecting, while Henry’s trio of brothers also have to adapt to a new way of living - sometimes to hilarious effect, as younger brother Dom (Jordan Benjamin) is asked to, erm, rearrange Henry’s appendage for him.

Gracie McGonigal is charming and vocally exquisite as love interest Katie, while Malinda Parris provides many memorable moments as Dr Graham. But the ensemble numbers remain the highlight of the show - in particular, the comic ‘Things We Shouldn’t Do’ which sees Henry go clubbing to a Monopoly-themed night at Oceana with his mum and physio.

Joe White’s book can at times feel a little basic and cliched. Some of the dialogue doesn’t always flow with the ease of Nick Butcher and Tom Ling’s luscious score, with some jokes feeling more akin to an early 2000s British sitcom than a contemporary West End musical. But, at the same time, it is that humour which sets it apart from other similar shows built around sensitive subject matters.

The show’s staging is a highlight, with stage projections providing an overwhelming sense of Henry’s world, especially as his interest in art grows. In the blink of an eye, the audience is transported from the yellow serenity of sunshine or the familiar red hue of the Fraser family boat to the searing clinical whiteness of a blinding hospital. The lighting design adapts deftly to reflect the ever-changing moods of the projections.

But it really is the score which gives The Little Big Things license to soar. Momentum is a key theme of the show and the musical direction evokes comparisons with Come From Away as numbers such as ‘Sympathy’ and ‘Silence of the Sea’ build uncomfortable tension before the ensemble harmonies of act closers ‘The World is Waiting’ and ‘The Little Big Things’ give way to emotional release and hope.

Henry Fraser’s story is beautifully adapted for the stage. This new musical is powerful, inspirational and deeply moving. Go see it while you can - but surely a West End extension is imminent.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Tom Ambrose

The Little Big Things plays at @sohoplace until 25th November, with tickets available here.