The Little Big Things (musical) explained

The Little Big Things
Subtitle:A New Musical
Music:Nick Butcher
Lyrics:Nick Butcher
Tom Ling
Basis:The Little Big Things
by Henry Fraser
Premiere Date:2 September 2023
Premiere Location:@sohoplace, London
Productions:2023 West End

The Little Big Things is a musical with music by Nick Butcher, lyrics by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling and a book by Joe White, based on the Sunday Times best selling memoir of the same name by Henry Fraser. The show received three Laurence Olivier Award nominations, including Best New Musical and won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Amy Trigg.

Production history

West End (2023)

The musical made its world premiere at @sohoplace in London's West End beginning previews on 2 September 2023. Originally scheduled to run until 25 November 2023, it was announced that the production would be extending to 2 March 2024 and didn't receive another extension and closed on 2 March 2024.[1] The production was directed by Luke Sheppard.[2] Full casting was announced on 7 July 2023.[3]

Cast and characters

Character!West End[4]
2023
Henry Fraser (Man)Ed Larkin
Henry Fraser (Boy)Jonny Amies
Fran FraserLinzi Hateley
Andrew FraserAlasdair Harvey
Tom FraserJamie Chatterton
Will FraserCleve September
Dom FraserJordan Benjamin
AgnesAmy Trigg
Dr. GrahamMalinda Parris
KatieGracie Mcgonigal
SurgeonRebecca Bowden
MarcoTom Oliver

Musical numbers

Act I
Act 2

Critical reception

The show had its official opening night on 14 September 2023, with critics in attendance giving it positive reviews; Andrew Lloyd Webber tweeted, "I've just had the most exciting night in a theatre for years. @TLBTmusical is an all British musical and it's a total triumph...it will be an international smash."[5]

Alun Hood of WhatsOnStage.com gave it five stars, stating "it's a truly great time in the theatre" and "The thunderous score is a major factor in this: Nick Butcher and Tom Ling's tune-filled, exhilarating work occupies that sweet spot where pop, rock and folk compounds with theatrical bombast."[6] The Observer gave it high praise and called the music "punch-the-air triumph" and the show "Full of the joys of being alive".[7] Arifa Akbar of The Guardian stated "Nick Butcher's music and lyrics (by Butcher and Tom Ling) are strong and catchy, incorporating pop, jazz and gospel alongside big musical ballads" but that the show felt too "bright eyed".[8] Dominic Cavendish wrote in his review of the year's theatre in The Telegraph newspaper, that "those worrying where the British musical will go after Andrew Lloyd Webber could take heart from The Little Big Things, an uplifting adaptation by the composer Nick Butcher and others."[9]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2024WhatsOnStage Awards[10] Best New Musical
Best Performer in a MusicalEd Larkin
Best Supporting Performer in a MusicalAmy Trigg
Best Casting DirectionJill Green
Laurence Olivier Awards[11] Best New Musical
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a MusicalAmy Trigg
Best Theatre ChoreographerMark Smith

References

  1. Web site: 2023-10-09 . The Little Big Things musical extends West End run . 2023-10-09 . en-US.
  2. Web site: Thomas . Angela . New British musical The Little Big Things to debut at London's @sohoplace Musical Theatre Review . 2023-09-02 . en-GB.
  3. Web site: 2023-07-07 . Full cast announced for The Little Big Things musical in the West End . 2023-09-02 . en-US.
  4. Web site: Darvill . Josh . 2023-07-07 . The Little Big Things musical to make world premiere in West End . 2023-09-04 . Stageberry . en.
  5. Web site: Instagram . 2023-12-18 . www.instagram.com.
  6. Web site: The Little Big Things at @Sohoplace – review.
  7. Web site: Observer The Little Big Things at @Sohoplace – review.
  8. Web site: The Little Big Things review – big-hearted musical is a true-story tearjerker.
  9. Web site: Dominic Cavendish . Tristram Fane Saunders . British theatre is a shadow of its former self – but our comedy scene is thriving . . 5 January 2024 . 14 December 2023.
  10. Web site: 2023-12-07 . Nominations in full: 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards . 2023-12-10 . en-US.
  11. News: 2024-03-12 . Olivier awards 2024: complete list of nominations . 2024-03-13 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.