Last 5 Years is presented under the auspices of the Notes from New York series, whose fifth anniversary will be marked by this production.
Featuring Notes from New York associate artists Julie Atherton and Paul Spicer (who also co-founded the series), the Last 5 Years staging brings the concept behind the series full circle, which was to present the work of contemporary, mostly American, musical theatre composers in London, and Jason Robert Brown was one of the first composers to be featured.
The Last 5 Years premiered at Chicago's Northlight Theatre in 2001 (starring Lauren Kennedy and Norbert Leo Butz), and was subsequently produced at Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane Theatre in 2002 (again with Butz but newly joined by Sherie Rene Scott). The U.K. premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2006 starred Lara Pulver (who subsequently appeared in Brown's Parade at the Donmar Warehouse) and Damian Humbley. The show revolves around the relationship between a newly published novelist Jamie and an aspiring acress Cathy, whose lives pull in opposite directions.
Atherton was seen as Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in the original London cast of Avenue Q and previously played Sophie in Mamma Mia! and Serena in Fame. She was recently seen in the world premiere of Once Upon a Time at the Adelphi at Liverpool Playhouse and the one-night gala A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe at the West End's Her Majesty's Theatre. Her solo album is called "A Girl of Few Words." Spicer was recently seen as Tobias in Sondheim's Sweeney Todd at the Gothenburg Opera in Sweden. Previous West End roles include taking over the role of Michael in The Witches of Eastwick and Billy in Taboo. He has toured the U.K. in Fame, Saturday Night Fever and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and was part of the international touring cast of Mamma Mia!.
The production is directed by Fiona Laird (currently represented by They're Playing Our Song at the Menier Chocolate Factory) and Amelia Sears (associate director for Michael Grandage's forthcoming production of Twelfth Night at Wyndham's). Musical supervision is by David Randall, musical direction by Mark Collins and sound design by Mark Dunne. To book tickets call 0845 481 1870 or visit www.thelast5years.com.
