REVIEW
The Last Five Years
Lyric Theatre, Belfast
FRA Fee made his name with his role in the 2012 big-screen hit Les Miserables, but his turn in The Last Five Years - at the Lyric - proves what a talented actor he is.
Both Tyrone native Fee and his Scottish co-star Amy Lennox shine in this Blunt Fringe production of the 2001 musical from Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown.
The show revolves around Cathy and Jamie’s courtship and ill-fated marriage over five years and, earlier this year, was made into a Hollywood film starring Anna Kendrick.
Playing Cathy in this production is Amy Lennox, who has starred in high-profile musicals Legally Blonde and 9 to 5 and following her Belfast run will take on a lead role in Kinky Boots in the West End. She has a stunning singing voice and is a remarkable actress so she is a name to watch out for in the next few years.
Cathy is a struggling actress who sees her husband, a successful young writer, started to drift away from her.
The show’s songs feature a winning mix of heartbreak and humour. Cathy’s song about her trouble with auditions is a real highlight, while Jamie’s tune about having a roving eye sees Fee take a seat in the audience.
It is surprising that such an excellent show is running in the Lyric’s second and smaller room, the Naughton Studio.
The live band is superb, the set is a thing of simple beauty and these two singing actors are the real deal.
The Last Five Years, directed by Stephen Whitson, runs at the Lyric until Saturday.
Brian Campbell
