By Jude
Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide and depression
Last week, the media filled the rehearsal room for the press call of ‘Little Piece of You: An Atypical Musical in Concert’, offering an inside look at this dynamic new musical. Promising a raw, emotional, relatable, and transformative story about a mother, her daughter, and the daughter’s pop/rock star idol, the musical features music inspired by Paramore, Hayley Williams, and 80s rock. Written by Kjersti Long—who began the project at 14 and is now 17— the show brings a fresh perspective by telling this kind of story through a teenager’s eyes. Last night (31st October), the public experienced the show’s West End opening at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The story opens with pop/rock star Sydney Hill (played by writer Kjersti Long) performing a concert, featuring the standout song “Half Happy.” We are then introduced to teenage fangirl Britt (played by Dujonna Gift, ‘Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)’) and her mother Shannon (played by Mica Paris, ‘EastEnders’), who is struggling with depression. Spoiler alert: early in the show, Sydney Hill’s suicide triggers Britt’s depression, and we embark on the journey of this mother-daughter duo as they navigate their struggles together.
Mica Paris delivered a performance full of vulnerability and nuance, portraying a mother trying to help her daughter while grappling with her own depression. Paris’ soulful voice added an extra layer of emotion to her character. Dujonna Gift gave a spirited performance as a fangirl obsessed with her pop/rock star idol—a role many young girls can relate to—and she portrayed it perfectly. Gift is truly one to watch, and I look forward to seeing what she does next. Kjersti Long brought true rock star energy to her role during Sydney Hill’s concert scenes, adding raw intensity to her character’s presence. David Bedella, as the father, provided lighthearted relief, capturing the essence of a loving father who just wants to help his wife and daughter—even if it’s with dad jokes.
The musical explores sensitive themes like depression and suicide, which were handled with notable care and grounding. The scenes between Paris and Gift, particularly as they navigate the struggles between mother and daughter, felt authentically raw and brought compelling vulnerability to the stage, allowing the audience to witness their relationship grow stronger through their shared decision to come together.
The songs “Half Happy” and “Sad Song” stood out to me during the press call, and they were just as impressive last night. These numbers brought a fun, concert-like atmosphere while also exploring the impact Sydney has on Britt.
My friend and I really wanted to love this show; unfortunately, we both felt it didn’t quite work for us. Many of the songs felt disconnected and out of place within the narrative. Since this is a new musical, the audience is unfamiliar with the lyrics, making it difficult to catch all the words and, in turn, harder to follow the story. From the audience’s perspective, the songs seemed to lack relevance to the plot and did little to move the story forward. There’s no denying that Long is a talented songwriter, but we felt the songs didn’t always enhance the plot or deepen our understanding of the characters’ journeys.
Throughout the show, we often found ourselves trying to piece together what was happening, particularly with the “invisible ensemble” aspects. The ensemble doubled as stagehands, moving props and set pieces while adding dance elements that went unnoticed by the main characters. Although the choreography was beautiful, we didn’t fully understand the meaning behind the ensemble’s presence or what they contributed to the story. At times, the ensemble’s presence detracted from the emotional continuity, making it harder to connect fully with the characters’ journeys. I found myself wishing the stage focused solely on the main characters to allow for greater emphasis on their stories.
The presence of Long as Sydney Hill also left us somewhat confused. After Sydney Hill’s passing, Long’s character has an omnipresence throughout the show, but we were unsure about her ongoing connection and what her songs meant to Britt and Shannon’s story.
We left the theatre somewhat confused about what we had just watched and uncertain about the show’s ultimate message.
The show has real potential to be great but feels unfinished, as though it needs a bit more work. This was highlighted by the endings of both acts, where awkward silences and uncertainty from the audience about whether the acts had concluded created a sense of unease. For fans of raw, character-driven musicals, this show has promise but may benefit from some fine-tuning to strengthen its storytelling.
In summary, in the words of my friend: talented cast, great potential, flawed execution.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sounds and Stage
