By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Friday 3 January, runs through 15 March 2025 Update: Extended through 31 May 2025 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Relocating F Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of a baby born as an elderly man and living his life backwards – best known as a 2008 film starring Brad Pitt – to the North Cornwall coast brings a community feel reminiscent of fellow musical Come From Away to this warm hug of a show.

• Read on for reasons including how this is a heartwarming little gem of a show well worth seeking out if you can

We see understudy Benedict Salter as Button standing in for Olivier Award-winning star John Dagleish (A Christmas Carol, Old Vic) proving the strength in depth of this ensemble cast with many playing instruments onstage throughout the action.

Button is most certainly a curious story of a hero meeting the love of his life – Clare Foster’s Pickled Crab barmaid Eloween Keene has a smile as wide as the Tamar Bridge – while he is 55 and she is considerably younger.

This is a musical unafraid to take risks and Philippa Hogg as Button’s mother brings a real sense of disappointment, shame and heartbreak to early song The Kraken’s Lullaby as she dwells on the aftermath of the unexpected result of her pregnancy with devastating consequences.

It’s gloomy stuff but illustrates the gravity of the situation and serves to underline the later theme that life may throw unexpected curveballs but it is for living and seizing the day, whatever is thrown at you.

There’s a real foot-stomping, hand-clapping and life-affirming folk pep to the onstage band which memorably includes accordian, brass instruments and whistles which reminded of musical Once and our favourite song was the joyous A Little Life about how everyone matters.

The mood is captured brilliantly and enthusiasm whipped up by the 13-strong cast who play a total of 30 different instruments.

Button begins at the end of World War 1 where we meet our protagonists in a Cornwall fishing village but it’s when the action moves east along the coast to Portsmouth during World War 2 when the fireworks really start to illuminate.

This production transferred into the West End from Southwark Playhouse (Elephant) and it would have been amazing to see there because of the venue’s height, suited to the many levels of the jetty set here, and intimacy.

Some of the show’s score is available on socials but we would love to see the entire album released to propel return visits and can see this production going out on a successful UK tour.

The show has an emotional close and we even shed a few tears which we weren’t expecting at all but this is a heartwarming little gem of a show well worth seeking out if you can.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and ATG Tickets
• Have you seen The Curious Case before and what did you think of this it? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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