Have you ever looked at a five pound note and wondered ‘Haven’t I seen you somewhere before…?’
Fiver, a new musical by Alex James Ellison and Tom Lees, follows the story of a humble five pound note as it passes through the hands and pockets of people in London. Often unnoticed and obviously unaware, the fiver is present for significant moments in each person’s life – whether it be an appreciation of their skills as a street performer; the start or end of a relationship; or the simple realisation that they can afford a bed for the night.
This beautifully crafted series of musical vignettes explores the value of money, relationships between people, and the relationships between people and their money. Through carefully interwoven narrative threads, we learn the presumed value and worth of a fiver to different types of people, and are present at the key moment when the value of a fiver – given or received – can be dramatically altered by circumstance.
The diverse characters in Fiver are explored through a broad variety of musical styles as we follow our unusual hero through the ups and down of what is – to a fiver – just a normal day.
★★★★★ ‘It’s a lot of fun. One would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this emotional rollercoaster.’ LondonTheatre1
★★★★★ ‘To put it simply – the production is fantastic. The music is brave and exciting and the songs are new, fresh and memorable.’ The Upcoming
★★★★★ ‘A musically lush score which is not only highly entertaining, but superbly detailed and sophisticated. Fiver really provides everything you could wish for in a new, British, contemporary, relevant musical.’ Rewrite This Story
★★★★ ‘Feels like a Londonised, smaller scale In The Heights, with a similar sense of exhilaration. Southwark Playhouse scores another bullseye.’ WhatsOnStage
★★★★ ‘Southwark Playhouse has made a name for itself in featuring new musicals and inventive revivals. It’s a venue that provides a platform for productions that are lesser-known, but have the potential to go further, and I suspect with Fiver, they have an uncontested hit on their hands.’ BroadwayWorld
★★★★ ‘An absolutely astonishing score. The experience of watching this musical is one of pure uplifting wonderment.’ TheatreWeekly
★★★★ ‘Fiver is a hilarious, heartwarming and throughly enjoyable new musical that deserves a great future.’ LoveLondonLoveCulture
★★★★ ‘There is something rather wonderful about watching a high quality musical in a small venue.‘ The Spy in the Stalls
★★★★ ‘The beautifully written book almost out-Curtises Richard with its charming, whimsical vignettes.’ Musical Theatre Review
★★★★ ‘The vocals are impressive from start to finish with beautiful harmonies, tone and intonation from everyone.’ Pocket Size Theatre