Ordinary Days elevates the ordinary into something special - a blend of story, music and performance that is a reflection of beauty. A cast of four talented singer/actors present a simple story set to complex and interesting music.
…beautiful comes from reflection.
Adam Gwon wrote the music and lyrics for Ordinary Days. It was first developed by New York Theatre Barn in 2007. This production premiered in London in 2016 and is currently at the Drayton Arms Theatre after a sell out season at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Gwon has written a show with complex music and clever lyrics. There is no spoken word in the show, the narrative being delivered purely in song. Ordinary Days lasts one hour and fifteen minutes and is rather in the style of Jason Robert Browne with touches of Sondheim.
The story is set in modern-day New York. It follows the parallel lives of four young city-dwellers struggling to find meaning in the madness: Claire, who can’t let go of her past; Jason, determined to begin their future together; Warren, an artist who’s lost his sense of purpose; and Deb, a student who’s lost her thesis notes. It is a witty, poignant, and ultimately very relatable story about human connection and finding beauty in unexpected places.
The ensemble cast of four between them deliver twenty one songs in total that vary from the light comedic quirkiness of Don’t Wanna Be Here to the warm and tender I’ll be Here. Each character is introduced in turn in song.
Warren, played by Neil Cameron, opens the show with One by One by One. Cameron immediately engages the audience with his charm and skill. He is followed by Nora Perone playing Deb. Deb has yet to find her place in life only knowing that she doesn’t want to be where she is. Perone has a rich and versatile singing style which suits the character and music well. Warren and Deb are a couple…of sorts… and Cameron and Perone have a tangible warmth in their relationship. Their final duet Beautiful is just that- beautiful.
Jason and Claire are a couple. Their fledgling partnership is in jeopardy from the day he moves in. Taite-Elliot Drew is Jason and sings The Space Between as his introduction. He is strongest in the song Favourite Places. Natalie Day plays his troubled girlfriend Claire. Claire comes across as being neurotic and unstable with little clue as to why she is that way until the ballad Gotta Get Out fills in the gaps. Day sings this song with great vocal and emotional assurance.
If there is one quibble about the show it’s that the seemingly disparate strands of narrative are left hanging until the end. It’s like being in suspended animation for an hour but the relief of discovery is worth the wait. Gotta Get Out begins the denouement. Then Warren and Deb meet on a rooftop and tension again builds to the visual climax of the production - the leaflet drop. The colourful pamphlets are released to the strength of vocal harmony from the full company.
The final element of performance comes from musical director Rowland Brache on the keyboard. Piano is the only instrumental accompaniment in this production and Brache provides a strong and emotive platform for the singers.
Ordinary Days is performed without a set, two benches being the only props on stage. Colour and life is provided by the cast and music. Geert Rigters is technical director for the production and the lighting supports the narrative well. In this simple and cosy space there is no need for the singers to be amplified and it is a welcome change to have the naked voices shine.
Jen Coles has directed Ordinary Days and has delivered a finely timed and intelligent production.
Ordinary Days elevates the ordinary into something special - a blend of story, music and performances that is a reflection of beauty.
