Review: Midnight at the Never Get (Menier Chocolate Factory)

Review by Daz Gale

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You know how that well-known saying goes - you wait ages for an actor who played Evan Hansen on Broadway to open a show in London, and then two come along at once. Three, in fact, after yesterday's announcement of another upcoming musical starring yet another performer who has famously portrayed the lover of trees. Last week, Noah Galvin made his London stage debut in Hit Machine, and now his husband and Evan predecessor Ben Platt returns to London for the UK premiere of Midnight at the Never Get. There was a time where audiences thought they'd never get the opportunity to see Platt lead a show in London, and this is now his second this year alone. Would this new show be as well received as his performance in The Last Five Years, or would this be one production I'd never get?

Midnight at the Never Get is set at the fictional “Never Get”, a backroom of a venue where singer Trevor Copeland had a regular performance slot at,F you guessed it, midnight. It was there he performed a secret nightclub act with songwriter Arthur Brightman, who just happens to be Trevor’s lover. Together, they defiantly performed love songs about men in an act of defiance at a time when their actions could land them in prison. However, this performance is different to any Trevor has done before. Arthur has passed away and it is down to Trevor to put on a performance as a tribute to his legacy, while trying to make sense of his own memories and how accurate they might be.

There is much more at play than that attempt at a synopsis suggests, and I don’t want to give anything away, but the story unravels in such a way to reveal layers that would have proven unpredictable in the initial deceptively simple premise. These nuggets are planted through Mark Sonnenblick’s incredible book that somehow crams an entire life into 90 short minutes. It is the severity of the themes that make Midnight at the Never Get so compelling. Set in the 1960s, it takes the audience back to a time when LGBTQIA+ rights were far from where they are today (although there is still some way to go) and forbidden love between two men wasn’t just met by homophobia and resistance but by having the very safe spaces they resided in shut down and the people responsible carted off to prison. If that isn’t enough to unpack, the show also speaks of the meaning of success, where the line is when it comes to compromising your values to get ahead and coming to terms with your own identity. The biggest theme that underpins it all, however, is love. At its heart, this is a love story - a tale of love and loss, combining romance and tragedy in an utterly mesmerising way.

The genius of this production is in the style it has opted for to tell the story. Midnight at the Never Get is the kind of show that refuses to be put in a box, instead opting for a genre-defying mix. Though it can be considered musical theatre, it doesn’t go down the conventional narrative, instead acting as a fusion of cabaret and theatre. When prolific songwriters die, they are often honoured at big glitzy concerts where perhaps the less family-friendly elements of their life are quietly brushed aside. This show asks what happens at the much smaller, more real and raw backroom tributes where the truth about the person comes out. To do this with a fictional songwriter in a way that could prove comparable to real people with similar lives is a stroke of genius, and a huge part of why Midnight At The Never Get is as riveting as it consistently is.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been to the Menier Chocolate Factory over the years, citing it as one of my favourite spaces in London due to its pretty strong quality as well as its versatility. I have seen multiple different configurations of the space in my previous visits, but never anything quite like this. The space has been completely transformed to transport you into 1960s New York and the Never Get club. Think how Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is now at the Kit Kat Club rather than the Playhouse Theatre, and you get the idea. For all intents and purposes, the Menier stops being the Menier the moment your ticket is scanned to find an in-world setting in the bar and foyer space. This is nothing compared to the sight that awaits when you step foot inside the theatre to see a wildly reconfigured space. Cabaret seats with tables and couches surrounding the stage allows total immersion, bringing you into Trevor and Arthur’s world before anyone has even set foot on stage. The result is absolutely spectacular, with Scott Pask’s vivid and detailed set design a thing of beauty. It is one thing to design a set, and another altogether to completely transform a venue in a way as stunning as the work Pask has done here.

Creating a slightly unconventional space at the Menier (sorry, Never Get) requires some intricate direction, and David Cromer is on hand to deliver. Every aspect and moment has been meticulously thought out to heighten the emotion and significance of the story at every opportunity. Perfectly choosing when to reveal different elements and how creates a sense of world-building that adds to the immersion, while the detail of when Trevor (Ben Platt) leaves the confines of the stage to prowl around the audience is magnificent in its execution. This is a choice that could have been overdone, but Cromer is acutely aware that less is more, ensuring every time Platt sets foot into the audience is always exquisite, with a special nod to a particularly beautiful dance sequence (with credit to Lynne Page’s choreography). Heather Gilbert’s lighting is similarly used to full effect, keeping dim lamps around the audience and picking the moments to subtly increase the brightness and darkness to reflect the story. Paul Groothius’ sound also excels at every turn, especially given the challenge of Platt alternating between using a microphone and going without, while making sure he is heard at every possible moment. It is no surprise in a production as exquisitely designed as this that every design element lives up to the same impeccable standard in a production I struggle to find any fault with whatsoever.

I will come on to Ben Platt in a moment, but this is not a one-man show, and as such I need to speak about the other cast members. I will not give away how or when Barry James makes an appearance, but all I will say is he adds a whole new level to the story, upping the emotional ante and delivering a solid performance in himself. Gregor Milne is a force of nature as Trevor’s accompanist who takes on the role of Arthur. The talent Milne has on display is awe-inspiring to witness, with a great musicality, vocals and acting skills making his performance shine through - no easy task given the heavyweight he is sharing a stage with.

There are not enough superlatives in the world to do justice to what Ben Platt does as Trevor Copeland. Given the huge stages he is used to playing on Broadway, there is something inherently special about witnessing a man of his magnitude and talent in such an intimate space without any bells and whistles needed. Due to the nature of the Never Get, there really is nowhere to hide, meaning that Platt is always exposed and vulnerable. He uses this to add to his performance - due to the extremely close proximity of him to the audience, you can see tears streaming down his cheeks in real time, adding to a performance that always feels raw and authentic. Platt’s characterisation is second to none - as Trevor’s memories become more muddled, he is given more opportunity to play into this, leading to a versatile and volatile performance. What Ben Platt does in this role is nothing short of remarkable - I’m not sure I have ever seen a performance quite like this before, and doubt I ever will again. One thing is for sure, Platt’s is a performance that will linger in my memory until my dying day.

It would be remiss of me to mention Ben Platt without acknowledging his singing. His is a voice that is distinctive and astonishing, providing the soundtrack to many musical theatre songs through his impressive career thu sfar. To witness him up close and personal like this truly showcases why he has gone on to become as well-regarded as he is. The quality of his voice regularly took my breath away over the course of Midnight at the Never Get, bringing to life the original songs by Mark Sonnenblick and knocking each one out of the park. From outstanding opener ‘The Mercy Of Love’ to a showstopping and cheery ‘I Prefer Sunshine’, each performance proved just as faultless as the last. Ben Platt may have a big range but it was refreshing the way he opted for restrained moments at times, saving the bigger moments for those when the impact could be most felt. Seeing the power and strength in this vocal added to what was a truly special performance, though his acting and characterisation proved every bit as strong.

One of my favourite things about theatre is its ability to surprise me. I always enjoy a show that does something I’ve never seen before, and Midnight at the Never Get does just that. Its fusion of cabaret and theatre creates a rather distinct production, but it is the way the story unfolds in such a natural way that also surprises, leading to a show that will easily get you in the feels as well as transporting you to another time and place entirely in one of the best uses of immersion I have ever experienced. It can be a fairly quiet and restrained show at times, and that too is refreshing, particularly in the way director David Cromer is unafraid of the silence and the necessity to focus on it for prolonged periods, only coming out of it when the time is right. A beautiful and romantic story that carries an important message that can still draw parallels to today’s world, at its heart Midnight At The Never Get is a stark reminder of the transformative power of theatre. This production is as special as theatre gets, furthered by Ben Platt’s phenomenal performance. Heartwarming at times and heartbreaking at others, Midnight At The Never Get is an absolute must-see.

Midnight At The Never Get plays at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 12th September. Tickets from https://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/tickets/midnight-at-the-never-get/

Photos by Johan Persson