Your Lie In April
10 August 2024
Harold Pinter Theatre
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
As this show announced an early finish to its London run, I had to grab myself a ticket before it was too late.
Based on the manga sensation of the same name, this is a brand new musical hit the West End for a limited run, making theatre history by having opening night for two productions on two continents on the very same day when it opened in London and Seoul on the 28th June. Unfortunately the London production shortened its run by six weeks.
Your Lie In April follows the story of Kosei Arima, a piano prodigy trained to perfection by his strict mother from earliest childhood. But when his mother dies, he loses the ability to play. Will his new friend, violinist Kaori Miyazono, help heal his trauma to allow him to return to playing beautiful music?
The story is very heartfelt and of course tragic, with a bit of an air of making a woman a sacrificial tool for the healing and growth of a man, which is unfortunate but still disturbingly common. Kosei’s friends and rivals serve as side-characters that never seem to be fully developed into whole personalities, but rather single-minded pastiches barely able to rise above their one interest they’re allowed to have. Still, it’s a compelling story that touches the heart and squeezed a tear or two from my eyes.
Underlined with gorgeous classical music, it has a sentimental underpinning throughout, making the somewhat samey songs feel a little out of place at times, excepting the piano and violin pieces played during competitions in the plotline, which were absolutely stunningly incredible. In the rest of the songs, there are some great moments, but as a whole, the melodies and vocal talent are a little limited with only a handful of memorable songs, taking up a bit too much time away from conversation and character development.
Stage design is absolutely gorgeous, with very simple but effective design elements that frame a revolving piano in the centre of the stage. I would have loved to see this show develop a bit more in the West End, as there is a lot of potential with this beautiful production.
