Musical & Opera Review: Only The Brave

Published on Tuesday 19 August 2008 23:57

ONLY THE BRAVE **** MUSICAL THEATRE @ GEORGE SQUARE (VENUE 37)

SEARCH-for-a-star type programmes such as Any Dream Will Do and I'd Do Anything have given musical theatre a definite popularity boost. Which is good news for Matthew Brind, talented composer of Only The Brave. He'll be hoping his ambitious new musical graduates from the Fringe to a nice little slot in the West End.

And there's no reason why it shouldn't – it's got catchy songs, an epic storyline based on true events, and a cast of superb singers. The aforementioned TV shows have supplied Brind with two of his main players – I'd Do Anything finalist Niamh Perry and Any Dream Will Do runner-up Keith Jack – but in truth, the real star is Tom Solomon, an award-winning singer who can hit them high and hold them long.

Set in 1941 and 1944 in England and France, this wartime drama is full of passion. Switching between the battlefield and the women left behind, the show refuses to make a moral judgment, instead just acknowledging the sacrifices made. The only downside to the show is its brevity. At just 70 minutes, it's a truncated version of the two-and-a-half-hour show destined for the West End, so some plot is lost and there's little narrative to break up the songs. So, until the finished product hits the stage, Only The Brave is to be enjoyed for its powerful songs, beautiful voices and its promise.

Until 25 August. Today 6:15pm