Little Piece of You: An Atypical Musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

This pop musical does something different – its atypical, as the title suggests. Little Piece of You: An Atypical Musical in Concert offers a raw and emotional look at life: the good, the bad and the dark.

The artistry driving the show is brought to us by 17-year-old rising star Kjersti Long. The voice behind the music, Kjersti’s debut is inspired by her experiences of the life of a not so mentally stable teenager. Having long been told her maturity doesn’t match her age, it really is astonishing that someone so early on in their life and career could compose such an emotionally complex and genuinely heartfelt score.

Little Piece of You brings an innovative musical experience to the stage, weaving contemporary sounds with an intimate and unfiltered family story. At its heart are mother Shannon (Mica Paris) and daughter Britt (Dujonna Gift), whose relationship forms the emotional core of this unique production. As they face their challenges together, their journey becomes a testament to healing, family bonds and personal growth. Travelling through time in order to uncover the truths about themselves and their history, this powerful modern musical promises to break the silence and presents a fresh take on themes of connection, courage and hope.

Working backwards and using Long’s music as its source, the plot of the musical has been composed not only to provide a vehicle for Kjersti’s distinct soundtrack, but also to explore the highs and lows of life through its deep and loveable characters. Staring triple Olivier Award-winner David Bedella, his role as the father is genuine and amusing – dad jokes and all. Mica Paris brings soul into the family home and it’s a joy to watch her character grow along with her relationship with her daughter. Following her lead role in the two-hander hit musical Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Cross New York), Dujonna Gift once again amazes with her note-perfect performance filled with an abundance of emotion and character personalisations.

The set was required to transform from arena stage to family home, therefore basic structures were used to fill out the silhouette of areas, with often just a very few pieces of furniture offering cues as to the bigger picture, like a bed in the bedroom or a single exposed lightbulb and cardboard box in the attic. When time travelling, projected colours and patterns were used to transport the audience back decades, draping the house with groovy wall papering through the 70s and 80s.

The beauty of this pop-rock musical is that it really is the soundtrack, which drives the performance, though it does have to be said that some songs suit this format better than others. For example, Bus Stop 21 and Hydroplane felt slightly out of place and shoehorned, yet numbers like Half Happy, Burn it Down and Who Turned the Lights Out, were all seamlessly weaved into the narrative and conjured enough to produce some real wow factor.

This musical encourages self-expression, self-exploration, self-acceptance, and, perhaps most importantly, it pushes people to start talking – really talking – and with a global mental health crisis on our hands, this message needs to be louder than ever.

Olivia Gardener
Photos: Roger Alarcon

Little Piece of You: An Atypical Musical is at Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 31^st October until 1^st November 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.