Director Melissa Cantwell based The Song Was Wrong on a story she had heard in a bar, and what has been quite a long time in the making has, on stage, become a heart-gripping story. Felix Jozeps stars as a pianist who meets and falls in love with a French photographer (Astrid Grant), yet as they try to build their lives together, financial stresses and homesickness tear them apart.
The performance was a triumph for the actors – the chemistry between the two leads was captivating, while George Shevtsov finely played a future version of the pianist who seemed to appear to guide his past self when going through a struggle. Jacinta Larcombe was also exceptional as the warm-hearted florist. The most impressive aspect of the show, however, was the score written by Nick Wales – the set and dialogue were quite minimal, and as such, the music was paramount to the performance and played a vital role in scenes where, as is the only real criticism, some of symbolic references were tough to decipher. That said, the second act, which was only half the length of the first, was the absolute highlight as the plot built to its climax, and Jozeps in particular shone as his character became more emotional and desperate in his quest. The Song Was Wrong is an emotional journey and will leave you wanting to book yourself in for the next night’s show.
