Anticipation hung in the air at the world premiere of One Day: The Musical at the Royal Lyceum Theatre. Regulars might have been surprised to find the auditorium reconfigured in the round, the audience facing one another across the stage. For a theatre accustomed to a traditional proscenium, the shift is initially disorientating; glancing across at fellow theatre-goers becomes part of the experience.

Emma and Dexter’s story begins in 1988, and a digital clock marking the year helps keep the audience oriented as time advances. There is something almost reminiscent of Back to the Future’s time machine, in the way the passing years tick before us. Based on the novel by David Nicholls, later adapted for television, the story arrives with a sense of familiarity already attached.

Despite its musical form, few of the songs leave a lasting impression. They lack the bite or emotional potency of recent Lyceum theatre productions such as Wild Rose, whose numbers linger long after the curtain falls. At times the musicians stationed in the royal box become a distraction from the action unfolding on stage.What works far better is the choreography. The colourful bursts of movement suit the theatre-in-the-round staging, particularly during the larger ensemble sequences such as graduations, restaurant scenes and moments of chaotic celebration which flourish in the space.

As Dexter, Jamie Muscato recalls the louche/laddish ways of Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver from the Bridget Jones films. Working in London media, Dexter carries the same smugness and emotional immaturity that Muscato leans into effectively. Sharon Rose, meanwhile, brings warmth and intelligence to Emma Morley, creating a far more grounded and sympathetic figure. Josefina Gabrielle is also excellent as Dexter’s mother, Alison, appearing at different stages of his life from the pride of his early adulthood to the poignancy of later illness, grounding the story whenever she appears.

Credit must also go to the creative team for making the theatre-in-the-round staging work so fluidly. The production makes imaginative use of the space, allowing scenes to flow quickly as the years pass in Emma and Dexter’s lives. Edinburgh also appears from a different angle for many in the audience both culturally and socially. Like the digital clock marking each passing year, One Day: The Musical moves steadily through the decades. The story that made Nicholls’ novel popular remains intact but perhaps it’s time for new stories about the city and Scotland in general to emerge. 

Three Stars.

Reviewed by Richard Purden.

https://lyceum.org.uk/