Review: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Ambassador's Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button returned to London for a run at Southwark Playhouse Elephant last year, the response was so incredible with critical acclaim everywhere you looked (including an easy five stars from us), it felt like it was only a matter of time before a West End transfer happened. Sure enough, time and tide have worked together and the musical has now made its latest journey to the Ambassador’s Theatre. When the news broke, there was a wave of excitement among theatre fans keen to see this stunning show again – it is rare to see a show with such a huge buzz behind it, where word of mouth helps to bring the initially niche show to a larger audience. Would bigger necessarily mean better though, or would it struggle to charm everyone as it did last year?

Originally a short story published in 1922, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is perhaps best known for its 2008 movie adaptation. The musical premiered at Southwark Playhouse in 2019, returning to London last year transferring to its new, larger venue. It tells the life story of Benjamin Button as he lives through the twentieth Century. Only, this is no ordinary life. Born as an old man, fully clothed up to his bowler hat, this curious case sees him aging in reverse. Throughout the story, he navigates love, loss, adolescence and aging just like any other man… just not necessarily in the same order.

There’s no way to sugarcoat it – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is an incredibly special show. Those of you who may not like those reviews of mine where I fawn over how much I adore a show may want to stop reading now, but there really is something about this show – the rarest of all shows, just perfect in its approach. I had heard so many good things about the show before my first visit last year and it more than lived up to the hype, becoming one of my favourites of the year. There is always the worry when you love a show that much the first time around if it will hold up to repeat viewing, especially when the intimacy is a big part of its charm and it moves to a bigger theatre. Needless to say, this was not something I should have worried about as not only is this show as good as it ever was – it’s better.

Words cannot express the true beauty and vibrancy of Jethro Compton’s book here. Taking the essence of the story and moving it to Cornwall, the result is an intimate and personal exploration of a very distinct story. In other hands, the story of a baby being born as a fully grown pensioner could be played solely for laughs with farcical and exaggerated elements played out. This is a far more restrained approach – while comedy is present throughout the show, it is always done authentically, and as absurd as the premise may be, you never find yourself laughing at the ridiculousness of it at all. Instead, you believe the situation instantly, fall in love and empathise – a testament to the power of the writing.

What makes this show so special is in its unrivalled ability to connect. While time may move backwards for Benjamin, the very essence of the story is its humanity and the basic needs we all have to live, love and laugh. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button does all three of these effortlessly. Regular readers here will be sick of me shoehorning the phrase “theatre at its best can make you feel” into review, but that for me is at the heart of what makes theatre so incredibly special, and this show does it like no other. Midway through the show I became aware of a smile that had been rooted on to my face from the beginning, never faltering at all. The feeling this show gave me is second to none, providing pure escapism and bringing me joy at a time in my life where that hasn’t been as easy to find. Because of the nature of the story, it’s not all joy, however, though life rarely is. The more sombre and sorrowful moments hit you hard and I found myself choked up. I’ll say it again – theatre at its best makes you feel and throughout the course of Benjamin’s story I was gripped, I was wowed, I fell in love all over again.

The other aspect of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button that sets it apart from all its counterparts is in how distinctly different it is to anything else. There’s nothing wrong with visiting a show and knowing what to expect, being able to compare it to other shows before you’ve even seen it and then again once it has finished. I found it impossible to do that with this show. It is unique in its storytelling aspect, unlike anything else I have seen before and I found that quite refreshing. To have something so bold and different in the West End is a beautiful thing, and this show has no shortage of beauty going for it.

The music from Darren Clark and lyrics from both he and Jethro Compton also lift The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, blending perfectly to the story and keeping with its -setting. The folk score has some outstanding numbers peppered throughout it with the gorgeous ‘The Moon And The Sea’, ‘The Kraken’s Lullaby’ and the stunning ‘A Little Life’ all along the many highlights. The use of the brilliantly talented cast playing all the instruments for every song brings more of an authenticity and intimacy to the numbers, eliminating any divide or disconnect between the actors and their characters. This is a show where connection is key and the connection here is as good as it gets.

In a note in the programme, Jethro Compton describes the show as a love-letter to his Cornish homeland. I would add that as well as that, this show is also a love-letter to life itself, and the very intricacies of it. Few writers have managed to convey the fragility, beauty and heartbreak of life as succinctly as it is done in this show. His skills extend beyond the writing of the show with gorgeous and meticulous direction always allowing for playful and inspired choices to make the show as exciting visually as the content is. Compton also is responsible for the exquisite set design, perfectly transporting us into the world of Benjamin Button as he navigates the decades throughout his life with a stunning simplicity that never distracts but always stimulates.

This is more than just a one-man band, however, as the multi-talented actor-musicians can attest. Zoe Spurr ensures the set is always lit beautifully with Luke Swaffield’s sound design ensuring the words and music all sound every bit as deserving as content of this quality deserves. The stage also comes alive with fantastic choreography courtesy of Chi-San Howard, with the relatively intimate stage of Ambassador’s Theatre bursting with life throughout.

Every bit as sensational as the creative elements are the phenomenal cast assembled here. John Dagleish takes on the titular role of Benjamin Button, always wowing with his nuanced and varied characterisation spanning an entire life of one man. His subtle yet well-thought-out character choices to highlight the difference in age from the way he walks and runs about the stage to the way he carries himself and speaks his words shows a limitless talent of which Dagleish continually impresses. He may be new to the production and had a tough act to follow from last years lead but he manages to not only stay true to the themes of the show but bring his own spin on the character to deliver a jaw-droppingly good lead performance.

Clare Foster provides the perfect counterpart to Dagleish’s Button with her turn as the love of his life, Elowen Keene every bit as captivating as his lead. With a charm and sweetness, Foster has an effervescent quality that lights up the stage with her every appearance. The scenes between her and Dagleish are full of sparks with an undeniable and believable chemistry furthering the sentiment of the story, and its emotional impact.

I could talk at length about every single cast member individually and the variety of characters each of them plays as there really is no shortage of talent bursting from every corner of this stage. Though it may be about Benjamin Button, all cast members play an important part in telling the story and all are absolutely astonishing through their multiple talents in one of the most striking ensemble casts I have seen in recent years. Special mentions have to go to Jack Quarton for his brilliantly comic and sweet Jack Trenlee and Benedict Salter for his conflicted and understated portrayal of Roger Button.

I fell in love with The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button when I first saw it last year. Ordinarily, there is nothing like the first time you see a new musical and it is hard to recapture that initial love and wave of excitement on future visits. This is no ordinary musical, however, and time works in reverse when it comes to this remarkable and refreshing show. I thought it was as good as it could get in its 2023 iteration but quite appropriately, it gets better with age, meaning that 2024 Benjamin Button has reached a new level entirely. A show unlike any other, Benjamin Button doesn't just deserve all of the stars it can get - it deserves the moon too. This may well be the best show in the West End at the moment and as beautiful as musical theatre gets. This really should be a must-see for everyone - my advice would be to get a ticket before time runs out.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is currently booking at Ambassador’s Theatre until 15th February 2025. Tickets available here

Photos by Marc Brenner