TICK, TICK...BOOM! - Theatr Clwyd (06/06/25)

It doesn’t matter how old you are, we all, to some degree, have moments where we are hyper aware of the passing of time, but perhaps no more than reaching a significant milestone ending in a zero. It’s easy to feel one’s own mortality and limited time remaining on this earth like it’s a ticking time bomb; and in many ways this forms the overriding mindset of Jonathan Larson’s semi-autobiographical, posthumously produced musical “Tick, Tick…Boom!”, inspired by one of his earliest career  disappointments.

The musical largely centres around two plot points: lead character Jon's impending celebration (or perhaps commiseration) of his 30th birthday, and the upcoming workshop of his latest creation "Superbia", based on a real show written by Larson prior to writing this one. What is clear from the narrative is that Larson has poured so much of his heart and soul into it, and we feel his struggle to strive for relevance in such a brutal creative industry on a very real level. Jon feels trapped, isolated at times, by the weight of his creative output and how it may or may not be received, and this is reflected wonderfully by the vision director Kate Wasserberg has set aside for this new production.

(L-R) Christina Modestou, Ryan Owen, Tarek Frimpong (credit: Johan Persson)

Reflecting this sense of Jon being trapped by his own thoughts and fears is some subtle but enormously potent set design by Amy Jane Cook, as on either side of the upper part of the stage, she features windows with bars covering them, as if we as an audience are sharing this sense of being imprisoned; it's a small detail, but truly enhances the storytelling given the trajectory of proceedings. All of the moving parts are handled in a slick, seamless manner, and the use of the stage revolve was hugely effective, especially when coupled with the flown in curtain.

Taking on the role of Jon, Ryan Owen commands the stage masterfully, he gives a powerful vocal performance, and narrates his own life with great style and panache; we as an audience hang on his every word, note, gesture and silence. His two costars, Tarek Frimpong and Christina Modestou, in a cast of just three, make it feel like there are far more people on stage, as they multirole superbly and bring something unique to each respective role they portray. But central to their respective performances are the characters of Michael and Susan, each representing a different facet of Larson's troubled life, and adding gorgeous layers of depth to this story.

Ryan Owen and Tarek Frimpong (credit: Johan Persson)

Beneath the sardonic, self-deprecating nature of Larson's story lurks a simmering sadness, an unwaveringly real vulnerability that comes from a life of such personal and professional hardship, from the stalling of his writing career, his fragmented relationship with girlfriend Susan amid wildly differing life ambitions, and best friend and roommate Michael's ongoing battle with HIV.

It's beautifully balanced, and Larson's rock-inspired score perfectly reflects this duality between his outwardly flippant nature, and the tortured inner soul he bottled up and expressed through this poignant, sadly often overlooked early work. The final number perhaps best reflects this, the notion of "cages or wings, which do you prefer?" is a profound reminder not to keep the troubled mind isolated. I hope this new revival production can return these important conversations to the forefront of our collective consciousness.

★★★★☆

"Tick, Tick...BOOM! plays at Theatr Clwyd until Saturday the 28th of June (tickets)