Think back to your last warm embrace, your last gift, your last compliment, that feeling is replicated in a viewing of ‘Ordinary Days’ at New World Stage. Nestled in the heart of Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, the space is a beautiful grand church, perfect for this intimate and heartwarming tale.
‘Ordinary Days’, written by Adam Gwon is a fully sung-through production with the New York skyline as its backdrop. It emulates the lives of ordinary people living their ordinary lives in an extraordinary world. The outcome of Gwon’s passion project is a beautifully nuanced musical intertwined with witty banter and heartwarming tales.
Creatively designed by Associate Producer Stephanie Williams and Musical Director Dan Jess, the production is simple, but intimate – exactly what the show needs to be.
There were some preview night jitters. The use of a live piano was a fantastic addition to the production, however, as the venue was open and had lots of reverb the echoing piano threw some performers off and they appeared to work hard to find their pitch. Additionally, the blocking of the actors was sometimes static and not visually appealing. A multi-level set was utilised mostly effectively throughout the production and added authenticity to the story. The lack of stairs for the bottom tier caused performers to move awkwardly between levels, a creative decision that could be reflected upon. That said, levels were mostly used effectively and lighting design by Nathaniel Knight helped to create a very atmospheric environment.
It is clear that the performers in this production have worked hard on their characters to display a beautiful piece of theatre.
Stephanie Williams was mostly an anxious and jittery Deb, but added a cool-girl-layer as well, which was an interesting take on a character who is usually portrayed as ditzy. It would have been great to see Williams’ work on their facial expressions to give audiences more understanding of Deb as a character, as this was lacking somewhat throughout the production.
Opposite Williams was Daniel Kirkby as the loveable and huggable Warren. Kirkby played Warren with a sense of questioning and curiously. It would be exciting to see Kirkby lean into the more lovable and positive side of Warren to create a deeper character and more layers.
Cal Silberstein was the fun-loving dad, Jason. Silberstein had a sense of suave in the role, and had stunningly clear vocals that aided the character’s development. Silberstein’s background moments really shine through, and his big catchy numbers were superb.
Chelsea Burton as Claire was the standout in this production. Words cannot describe Burton’s talent; perfect vocals made audience members cry with the 11 O’clock number and laugh through ‘Fine.’ Not only does Burton have superb vocals, their characterisation choices and expressions were to die for. The audience felt with Claire for the entire production. Burton is a rising star and definitely one to watch.
Overall, New World Stage’s production of ‘Ordinary Days’ was a loving night out and is perfect for anyone who wants to relive heart-warming feelings. Whilst it has a few flaws (as do all productions), this does not detract from the wonderful talent and unique choices of the actors who delivered the beautiful story.
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