4000 DAYS, currently playing at the delightful Park Theatre, has a premiss that is easy to get excited about.What follows is an emotional tangle as Michael, his aggressively possessive mother Carol, and the hapless Paul all try and work out where they stand.
Human memory, and how much it makes up who we are as a person, is a hot topic, and one which should have made excellent material for drama, or comedy. However, 4000 Days didn't seem to have decided which of these it was going for. I have seen many tragedies with sharply funny moments, and lots of comedies which brought home a deeper message, but 4000 Days fits into neither of these categories.
It is difficult to know whether it is the production or the writing itself that is at fault, but the piece never quite became believable enough for me to emotionally invest in. There are certainly some excellent lines, most often delivered by the delightfully acerbic Maggie Ollerenshaw as Carol. However, these are undermined by numerous awkward moments, a slow pace and the lack of believable characterisation. Alistair McGowan’s Michael, despite flashes of humour, was particularly two dimensional.
The set was beautifully realised, with a clinical feel and a fully working hospital bed however the audience are sat on three sides which doesn't seem to have been taken into account during the rehearsal process. This lack of directorial awareness means that anyone seated anywhere other than dead centre spends too much time staring at the back of at least one of the actors.
All in all, 4000 Days was mildly amusing, but ultimately disappointing, never fulfilling the potential of its concept whether as a result of poor direction or the script’s obvious need for a good edit.
I was apprehensive before seeing this musical about one of my favourite bands. Knowing that West End productions have a tendency to glamorise real stories I was worried the gritty spirit of The Kinks would be lost. I am happy to report that I was wrong - this is the best musical I have ever seen!