Musical puts the reality of love in the spotlight

The Last Five Years at Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival stars Courteney Mayall and Nick Wilkinson who play Cathy, a struggling actress, and Jamie, a budding novelist. Photo / Supplied

"It'll make you laugh, it'll make you think and it might even make you cry…"

Funny, poignant and devastatingly honest The Last Five Years is a musical theatre experience like no other.

Set in New York, the show follows Cathy, a struggling actress, and Jamie, a budding novelist on the brink of wild success, who meet, fall in love, marry, and divorce over the span of five years.

Cathy tells the story from the end of their marriage; Jamie begins from when they first meet.

As the musical unfolds, Cathy moves backward in time to the beginning of the relationship as Jamie moves toward the end; they meet only once, in the middle, at their wedding.

Taking place in the American Modernist Garden as part of the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival and diverging from traditional musical theatre with a non-linear structure, The Last Five Years is perfect for those looking for something a bit different.

Starring Courteney Mayall and Nick Wilkinson with direction by Jason Wade and musical direction by Nick Braee, this is a production team like no other.

Wilkinson and Mayall are no strangers to the stage each with numerous local and professional performance credits under their belts. Jason Wade is also no stranger to the spotlight; however, The Last Five Years will mark Wade's directorial debut.

Wade has wanted to stage The Last Five Years for quite some time now and was well up to the challenge of putting on the show in the American Modernist Garden.

"It's already breaking convention with its non-linear structure, so it makes sense to do it in an unconventional setting for musical theatre," says Wade.

"The Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival is perfect for doing something that's unusual or diverse".

According Wade and his team the audience can "expect to be enraptured by its spellbinding and emotional score and libretto".

The Last Five Years runs as part of The Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, from February 15 to 17 in The American Modernist Garden, with shows at 8pm and 4pm.

General admission $30, tickets available from https://hgaf.co.nz/