New NZ Musical Explores The Magnetic Pull Of Past Loves

Catherine Zulver’s new musical When We Were Us, produced by Red Scare Theatre Company, follows Claire (Julia McDonald) and Dylan (Kevin Orlando) — two exes who haven’t seen each other for eight years. Many years ago, Claire and Dylan were young and in love, travelling the world together. But it's been over a decade since they last spoke when Dylan calls Claire from a hospital room in a hospital in New York, where he has collapsed with an unknown illness. Not really knowing why, Claire rushes to his side. Now the two of them must work out what they are to each other, and what they want to be.

“It’s a very relatable premise” says Catherine Zulver, a playwright and composer based in Wellington, “most people have a Dylan — that someone from the past who just pulls you into an orbit and pokes those questions of what if and why”. Zulver has been working on this musical for a few years and it’s finally seeing the light of day at BATS Theatre in July. The play spans various locations as Claire and Dylan trace their memories, vacations in the Caribbean Paris and across Europe. A seasoned traveler and romantic herself, Zulver draws upon her twenties of adventure and heartbreaks to evoke the memories that feel so honest. A workshop production introduced the script to Artistic and Associate Directors Cassandra Tse and James Cain and it was obvious that the work had to be shared with a wider audience.

Directed by Helen Mackenzie Hughes (Melancholy Play) and starring Julia McDonald (The Sandwich Artist, Hausdown) and Kevin Orlando (Wicked, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812), Claire and Dylan are the only two characters onstage in the whole show. It’s a unique challenge, but director Helen Mackenzie Hughes feels that her actors are more than up for it. “As soon as Kevin and Julia sang together it was immediately clear that they were perfect together onstage. Their voices and chemistry combined is such a vital part of the show”. Orlando, who previously worked on a two-hander with Red Scare in Gutenberg, The Musical in 2018 can’t wait to dive into something different. “I’m often asked to play quite big characters so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to do this smaller, intimate romance.” McDonald agrees, “I really think the play is going to pull some heartstrings”. A stage manager turned performer, McDonald is looking forward to making her Red Scare Theatre debut which celebrates eleven years making theatre in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Music Directors Phoebe Caldeiro and Marley Richards bring the sounds to life with Richards accompanying Claire and Dylan live on stage alongside guitarist Thomas Whaley. The dual guitar backdrop makes for a moving and intimate evening in the theatre, more reminiscent of a great indie gig than the razzle dazzle of pop musicals.  If you’re a fan of musicals Once, The Last Five Years, Tick, Tick Boom or films like (500) Days of Summer, When We Were Us perfectly captures the energy, melancholy and heartbreak of young love when the whole world is in front of you and you don’t yet know who you are.

When We Were Us is on from the 23 – 27 July at BATS Theatre in the Dome Stage. Tickets are available now at https://bats.co.nz/whats-on/when-we-were-us/  

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