We all deal with heartache/heartbreak in our own ways. Some stuff their faces with choc or ice cream, others turn to yoga or other ‘spiritual’ activities, often people will reinvent themselves to some degree with a new haircut or a new wardrobe, and some people seek refuge in the note that Stephen Sondheim once wrote them which they carefully place on their bedside table. (That’s not me by the way..) John Bucchino wrote songs - and thank goodness that he did. 30 years worth of ‘life’ and 30 years spent skilfully and articulately encapsulating his experiences of love, for no specific purpose and certainly not with a musical in mind. In 2004 however, “It’s Only Life” came to life and its currently being revived at the Union Theatre.
The beauty of this piece is that it allows each production to interpret the show as they wish, and maybe that’s testament to the strength of the songs themselves and how they seem to speak to everyone. So universal are the words and the music that accompany that anything layered on top, serves to contextualise the particular story that is being told this time round.
