Theatreland’s newest venue, @sohoplace, finding its feet after only four shows to date, is put blissfully through its paces in this spanking new musical, one of very few in living memory to have its first production in the West End. Telling the true story of Henry Fraser, a promising young rugby player paralysed in a teenage accident, The Little Big Things (music, Nick Butcher; lyrics by Butcher and Tom Ling; book, Joe White; director, Luke Sheppard) is a lavish celebration of pragmatism with a curiously intimate relationship at its heart: the fraught bromance between the present-day Fraser, who uses a wheelchair, and his younger, non-disabled self.
Every string to this hi-tech building’s bow is put to use, from its interactive stage to the spine-tingling sound system, not to mention its accessibility, allowing disabled performers to take centre stage. Among these is Ed Larkin, a rugby player himself, in the lead role, providing a calm, comic nucleus around which his frantic parents and brothers spin in disarray. Another, Amy Trigg, shines as Agnes, the trenchant and bawdy physiotherapist who propels Henry’s miraculous recovery and reinvention as a painter.
This isn’t so much a story of human resilience as the story of one particular man’s superhuman resilience, and the sheer strength of Fraser’s character – his instant determination and deep reserves of humour and courage – means that we never truly doubt his ability to accept his injuries and prevail over them. This gives the show an infectious energy of hope and purpose, but at the expense of jeopardy and enduring discomfort. The intensely motivational atmosphere is reflected in the power-pop score, which defaults unapologetically to punch-the-air triumph.
Triumph, however, is no mean feat. Among stories of disability, there is no shortage of trauma and hardship, and The Little Big Things makes a convincing case instead for the power of gumption, gladness and gusto. This is most movingly expressed deep in Act 2, when the uninjured Fraser tells his older, disabled self: “I can’t wait to become you.”
