Musicals exploring the fragility of love are not hard to come by – however Mayflies, written and composed by Gus Gowland, is a exceptional example of this narrative.
With online dating changing the way so many fall in love and meet-cutes so often being virtual, this new musical premiering at York Theatre Royal takes a deep dive into a relationship and its complex journey from screen to scene.
Mayflies is at York Theatre Royal from Friday 28 April to Saturday 13 May.
To fully appreciate this musical offering, you must understand the inspiration behind it. Gowland was inspired by the lifecycle of a mayfly, and not just that it famously only lives for a day but its long gestation period, its emerging and the shedding of its skin before death – all elements he wished to see mirrored on stage in a 21st century relationship.
The non-linear storytelling enabled us to time travel through the stages of their relationship from the first ‘hello’ to their inevitable hardships.
I felt the significance of jigsaws were important throughout and often reflected the audiences’ own emotions, as we tried to piece together the connection we witnessed before us. This foreshadowed the great imagery at the end of the performance – creating a breathtaking moment as we saw those pieces slowly fall and crumble.
The strength behind this work is not only from its concept, but from the fantastic actors who brought the characters to life and embodied them completely.
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The vision to create a diverse piece of theatre with interchangeable casts and differing pairs is a huge challenge, however Gus Gowland was able to achieve this.
Last night, we were able to witness the exceptional Nuno Queimado as May and Rumi Sutton as Fly – however depending on the night you attend you could see any variation of the parings with Sutton also playing May on occasions and Emma Thornett alternating as Fly.
The characters were relatable and it almost felt intrusive watching them blend together over time, from goofy stories, to sharing their unusual dislikes. I really admired how there was so much focus on the small things, yet the bigger moments such as the I love yous, went by so quick.
It brought truth to how vital the little things can be, the importance of them sometimes outweighing those milestones set by societal pressure. But it is also important that through these glimpses we didn’t just see the seriousness between them but the joy too – there were many laugh out loud moments throughout the dialogue as the audience found out more about each individual.
Despite the dialogue being fast-paced, there were moments of pause and not always the comfortable kind. Fly’s monologue was a standout moment with her passionate speech on love and that that even if love is lost ‘you will always be a defining feature in someone else’s story, that’s something to celebrate’ – a relatable concept for many.
There were some phenomenal musical numbers too, and Nuno’s performance of ‘Running on Empty’ had the entire audience in awe, as he sang such a passionate and heartbreaking number.
For a new musical the songs were superb and I can only hope that the entire soundtrack is recorded and available for streaming soon.
Two actors on such a large stage like York Theatre Royal can be a daunting prospect as a director, however they nor the vision were lost thanks to Tania Azevedo’s creativity. The actors were able to take control of the stage and use the space to their advantage through the different levels, props and transitions.
The overall lighting and stage design by David Howe and TK Hay was phenomenal – from the floral hanging lights floating to frame the stage, to the use of hot and cold colours representing the shifts in the narrative. This design along with the repeated sound effects helped create interesting transitions, and whilst some played out smoother than others, each one gave a window into the characters both as individuals and as a pair.
The musical ultimately reminded us that there is beauty in connection regardless of the outcome and how lucky we are to have loved at all. Make sure you catch this outstanding new musical that will be sure to take you on a journey of love, loss and longing.
Mayflies is at York Theatre Royal until Saturday 13 May. Tickets start from £15 and are available via the York Theatre Royal website.