'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' review — this beguiling British folk musical hits the big time

Read our review of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring John Dagleish and Clare Foster, now in performances at the Ambassadors Theatre to 15 February 2025.

How do you measure a life, to paraphrase Jonathan Larson? This gorgeously crafted musical adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, about a man who ages in reverse, uses an outlandish premise to pose questions about relatable and quietly profound concepts. Originating at Southwark Playhouse in 2019, it’s a beguiling new entry to the West End, the actor-musician production and folk score bringing back memories of Once.

Crucially, the show’s creators Jethro Compton and Darren Clark have transposed the action from 19th-century Baltimore to a Cornish fishing village in the early 20th century. Benjamin Button is born in 1918, meaning he bears witness to some of the major events in modern history, from the Second World War to the Moon Landing.

But the focus is very much on the close-knit community who live by the rhythms of the sea, played by a beautifully connected, multi-roling ensemble (given effectively fluid movement by Chi-San Howard). It grounds Fitzgerald’s fable in reality – we keenly feel his mother’s shame at giving birth to this aberration – but also taps into the folk traditions of storytelling and sea shanties, with just a hint of mysticism.

David Fincher’s unwieldy movie (starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) used alarming special effects to solve the problem of Benjamin’s ageing, but theatre has an immediate advantage: we’re willing to suspend disbelief if something is confidently and creatively presented, as it is here.

We immediately buy that John Dagleish’s Benjamin begins as an old man, simply because he is stooped and shuffling, and has a walking stick and a pipe. As he grows younger, his posture straightens and soon he’s bounding across the stage. Though her journey is less extreme, Clare Foster, as fiery barmaid Elowen, also does a wonderful job of poignantly ageing her character.

Clark’s lush score, which ranges from foot-stomping jigs to wistful laments, plays with the notion of time to illustrate their emotional journeys too. When the pair fall in love, the music slows and lingers: time stops for them. Likewise, many people will relate to Elowen’s aching wish that she could stay forever in that perfect family moment when their kids are young and happily playing together.

The one downside of the show’s structure, which involves the cast taking it in turns to narrate, is that we sometimes get an overview of a key plot point instead of a scene in which the characters can unpack it fully. That applies particularly to Elowen, who has to take a lot of startling information on board very quickly.

But Dagleish and Foster mainly fill in those gaps thanks to their lovely committed performances and palpable chemistry. The ensemble all make valuable contributions too, with great support from Anna Fordham as Benjamin’s impish son and Jack Charlton as his loyal friend Jack – all while juggling fiddles, guitars, accordions, trumpets, drums, and a shared piano.

The design (by Compton and Anna Kelsey) is a seafaring delight, with wooden crates, planks and ropes used to create everything from barstools to a boat, and, overhead, fairy lights twinkling among the fishing nets to suggest stars. Luke Swaffield’s evocative soundscape features lapping waves and a whistling wind; there’s a sense of the vast eternity of nature, in sharp contrast to the brief span of a human life. We must make every moment count.

What does it mean to be home or to belong? Ironically for a piece with such a strong sense of place, this soulful musical argues that both are to found in the people we love. That’s an idea which will never grow old.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is at the Ambassadors Theatre to 15 February 2025. Book The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Photos by Marc Brenner)