REVIEW: SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS at Etcetera Theatre 28 – 30 Dec 2023

'Inspiring … but despite the vulnerability and fascinating subject matter, the musical leaves some questions frustratingly unanswered' ★★★ ½

Mark Glentworth is an accomplished musician. That is in no way up for debate. And the former child percussion prodigy’s one-man musical allows him to display his skills as a singer, drummer, pianist and composer to full effect. The show is Glentworth’s autobiographical story, the tale of how he went from early international success to a complete breakdown that had him hiding indoors, sleeping 23 hours a day, for the titular seven-and-a-half years.

It’s a harrowing history, and the path he’s travelled—from recluse who wants nothing more than to be invisible to performer putting it all out for the world to see—inspiring.  But despite the vulnerability and fascinating subject matter, the musical leaves some questions frustratingly unanswered, and other aspects underexplored.

Director Julia Stubbs’ staging is effectively simple: a few instruments scattered across the stage do most of the work, a tiny treadmill is put to fantastic use. There were some moments where I wished ideas had been pushed further (a few notes played across a sheet-covered piano, for example, hinted at exciting possibilities), but the staging served the performer well. And appropriately for a story about a musician, audio and music collages shape the world around Glentworth, his concerned colleagues, family members, friends played in via speaker.

It’s here—in the relationship between Glentworth’s crisis and those around him—that the show most falters. Although the performer does reflect on the impact his mental health had on those around him, his take often feels too simplistic to capture the surely horrific ripple effects involved. “My poor dear wife” is the sentence that first informs us he had a long-term partner at the time, and we learn little more about her than that she used to slide cash under his door after, presumably, moving out. His son takes up more space, and lyrics, but the father’s agonising about what his absence has done culminates in a, frankly, unbelievably simplistic happy ending.

Perhaps this is a matter of taste. Perhaps there’s no way to tackle and untangle 90 months of mental health in a manner that does justice to every aspect, and everyone involved.

And if you want to see a musician use his craft to turn a light on himself, SEVEN and a half YEARS certainly delivers.

SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS website Home - SEVEN and a half YEARS

Writer / Performer: Mark Glentworth

Director: Julia Stubbs

Produced by MMGMUSIC PRODUCTIONS.
 
 

Reviewed by Anna Clart