I rotated through quite a few albums this week (Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me) but the one I kept coming back to was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button currently running in London’s West End. It’s the same basic structure of the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald / movie of a man aging in reverse trying to find his place in the world except this time we are set in Cornwall and the framing device is we’re in a pub being recounted this tale. All the ensemble step out to play different roles throughout the show, all while playing their own instruments.
In this production, all the ushers and theatre staff are dressed up as employees of The Pickled Crab, the fictional pub in the play, and if you even get to the theatre early enough you can grab some Cornish food from a pop-up restaurant outside the main entrance so it does a great job of immersing you into the world.
I did briefly consider putting this post backwards (starting with concluding thoughts and ending with the pitch) but it felt that might be a little too confusing. Instead, I scheduled it for 9:36 AM which is the first time mentioned in the musical (most songs feature one to two to five sets of time spoken aloud. Obviously time is a very important concept in Benjamin Button).
Imagine Description: Set of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the Ambassadors Theatre. Photo by Karla Coreil.
2. The History
Hey, remember in my Operation Mincemeat article where I said remember the name “Southwark Playhouse”? That’s also were Benjamin Button got its start off-West End in 2019! It had an encore production also at Southwark in 2023 before transferring to the West End where it won Best Musical at the 2025 Olivier Awards, so yes, the last TWO Best Musicals in London started off at Southwark Playhouse! Support off-West End / off-Broadway shows! You never know what’ll be the next huge hit! I have (at least) one more Southwark Playhouse musical coming sometime in the future too so remember the name!
It also won Best Actor and Outstanding Musical Contributions (which is different than “Best Score” as we know it at the Tony Awards. Outstanding Musical Contributions is closer to “Best Orchestrations” while the score in London is considered part of the “Best Musical” considerations).
The book is by Jethro Compton with the score by both Compton and Darren Clark. Compton also directed.
I saw it just this past summer! We had an understudy for Benjamin and had no idea (please, London, give out free programs/Playbills so I can know when there’s an understudy on so I can give them their proper flowers!).
If you want to know more about my experience at Curious Case of Benjamin Button and all the shows I saw in London, I did a guest blog post for my mom’s travel website!
Outside of the Ambassadors Theatre after the performance of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with my mom and some of our theatre friends who made the trip to London. Photo provided by Karla Coreil.
3. Favorite Fun Fact about the show
It’s really fun to me that all three versions of Benjamin Button (short story / movie / musical) are completely different from each other in terms of settings and characters, but also how similar they all are.
I don’t know if it was intentional, but there were quite a few parts of the musical that reminded me of the movie. Water (sea, drowning, flooding) is very important in both. Both Benjamins in the movie and musical serve in the Navy during World War II and have their boats attacked by Germans with Benjamin one of the only survivors.
I’d like to read an article (or heck, maybe write) about the similarities and differences between all three and the reception of them (classical studies term for how one reading of a story effects our reception of different readings of that same story).
4. Favorite Lyric
I really like one of the first songs from the musical about Benjamin wanting to go explore the world about being locked up by his parents for the first 10 years of his life due to their embarrassment of him.
🎵But all I want is to live a little life Feel a little bit of freedom, see a little bit of sea Oh, what I'd give for the little life I'd live If I could live a little life🎵
5. If you only have time for one song
I loved their Olivier Award performance which is what really got me interested in seeing the show. It was also one of my mom’s favorite short stories / movies and any chance I have to see a show with a loved one, I’ll take!
This is “Shipping Out Tomorrow” taking place on the eve of D Day. I think it really showcases the ensemble and their instrument playing well as well as showing the relationship between Benjamin and Elowen.
6. Concluding thoughts
Tide and time wait for no man! Nor does the end of this post! I really enjoyed Benjamin Button. It was not really anything like it was expecting. I love a story about finding home in the ones you love.
The very first lyrics of the show are in Cornish “Rag ty yw tre” and translate to “where is home?”
Gets me right in the feels every time.
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I liked that you ended with the first lyrics!