REVIEW: "Only The Brave"

Tonight, I went to see the closing night of the new musical - "Only The Brave" which had its world premier at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

"Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Second World War, "ONLY THE BRAVE" is a passionate new musical inspired by the true life stories of men and women who lived, loved, and fought for freedom. A husband and wife separated by war, a soldier and a nurse who find true love on the battlefield, and a band of soldiers who would give up their lives for one another."

As a musical, it's got all the right components. Firstly, an emotive score by Matthew Brind sweeps the audience into this fast paced production. Similarly, the luxury of a full orchestra (rare in a fringe show!) gives it that "epic musical" feeling. With the music comes some fantastic performances - it's not often you have the chance to experience West End Stars including Gerard Bentall (Les Miserables), Cassidy Jenson (Wicked) and Tom Solomon (Phantom of the Opera) in such an intimate environment.

The production is, however, very much in its development stage, even at this World Premier event.

The most notable change is the run-time has been dramatically shortened to around 90 minutes. While this gives us a real taste for what is to come in a full-production, I also feel slightly cheated. It leaves the show feeling rushed, incomplete and more underwhelming than it deserves to be. Even the "World Premier Cast Recording" which is on-sale isn't even a complete recording of the reduced show. Dare I also mention the fact people are paying up to £25.00 a ticket to see what is at-worst a glorified preview.

For me, the only thing I didn't like about the production is the book itself. The setting of the Second World War, while no doubt stirring, feels a bit overdone. Especially when we are presented with a rather one-sided account of the events - it almost feels like propaganda at times.

Despite this, I can see this becoming the next big British musical and a London run must surely be on the cards soon. I look forward to seeing it again in it's completed form.

Have you seen "Only The Brave"? Leave your thoughts in the comments

"Only The Brave" ran between 31st July to 25th August at George Square Theatre, Edinburgh