Rachel Zegler and Ben Platt Star in The Last Five Years at the London Palladium

Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen, Pitch Perfect, Parade) and Golden Globe and NBR winner Rachel Zegler (Evita, The Hunger Games, West Side Story), star together in a very special new concert staging of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years playing from Tuesday 24 to Sunday 29 March at the London Palladium.

The Last Five Years tells the story of a couple’s five-year relationship from two opposing timelines — Cathy’s story told backwards and Jamie’s forwards. Both Platt and Zegler are electrifying, showcasing some of the best talent of their generation.

Brown directs and conducts from the piano on a set by Bretta Gerecke that separates out the band on to various levels. The split staircases evoke apartments and outdoor urban environments where the not-so-love story takes place.

The cast and crew rehearsed for a week at London’s Sugar Studios, building the complete set and rehearsing music and blocking. The elaborate build allows for multipurpose levels, conveying the easy passing of time and locations throughout the show.

Brown’s score features songs including “Still Hurting”, “The Schmuel Song”, “If I Didn’t Believe in You” and “Goodbye Until Tomorrow”. This concert’s creative team also includes musical director Leo Munby and associate director Emma Butler.

The show has been staged around the world and was adapted into a film starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan in 2014.

The musical is at London Palladium until 29 March. Then at Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, on 3 April and Radio City Music Hall, New York, 6-7 April.

Photos courtesy of: Danny Kaan and Lambert Jackson.