REVIEW: Once On This Island at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park

Once on this Island has a really special and important message for us in 2023. With crimes being committed every day against non-white communities and with the current backlash the trans community are facing, this is a story that could teach our society a lot. The consequences that segregation can cause are brutal and this really lifts a mirror to the world we’re living in today. 

Beautifully told by the cast and creatives, this is a simple production that utilises the narrative and writing to do most of the work, and luckily it’s brilliant, so it just emphasises the work that Lynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (Music) have created.

REVIEW: Once on this Island at the Southwark Playhouse

After making its Broadway debut in 1990, Once on this Island was revived in 2017 with a Stella cast. Although the production did transfer to the UK in 1994 we have yet to see the Broadway Revival come over to London. But this production, by the British Theatre Academy, is the net best thing.

The British Theatre Academy has been around for almost 30 years, providing accessible professional theatre training to young people from all walks of life. This is the companies 5th year presenting a summer season, this year we’ve had Footloose and My Son Pinocchio. Jr perform at the Southwark playhouse with Once on This Island and Dogfight following. 

Whilst this production does resemble quite a lot of similarities to the 2017 Broadway revival, this adaptation is still fresh and exciting.