The Last Five Years Musical Returns With Star Casting
Martha Kirby And Guy Woolf Announced To Star In Revival Production Of The Last Five Years
The Barn Theatre, Reading Rep Theatre and Theatre Royal Bath have announced that Martha Kirby (Club NVRLND, Evita) and Guy Woolf (The Cher Show, As You Like It) will star in the Built by Barn revival of The Last Five Years, the acclaimed musical by Tony Award-winning Jason Robert Brown.
The production will run at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester from Friday 17 October – Saturday 15 November, following its opening at Reading Rep Theatre from Friday 19 September – Saturday 11 October, before transferring to the Ustinov Studio at Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 25 November – Saturday 3 January. A press performance at the Barn Theatre will take place on Monday 20 October.
Martha Kirby will play Cathy, following recent performances as Wendy in the world premiere of Club NVRLND at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Eva Peron in Evita at Leicester Curve, Raven in the UK tour of Bat Out Of Hell and Sandy in the UK tour of Grease.
Guy Woolf takes on the role of Jamie, recently seen in Yankl and the Beanstalk at London’s Pleasance Theatre. His previous credits include As You Like It at The Globe, the UK & Ireland tour of The Cher Show, and Becoming Electra: A Queer Mitzvah at The Roundhouse, Nottingham Playhouse and Hope Mill Theatre.
Joining Kirby and Woolf will be actor-musicians Wills Mercado (guitar), Angus Tikka (bass guitar), Rebecca Demmer (cello), and Music Director Ellie Verkerk-Hughes (piano). The creative team includes director Hal Chambers, set and costume designer Ethan Cheek, lighting designer Jonathan Chan, sound designer Matthew Giles and movement director Georgina Lamb. Casting is by Harry Blumenau CDG.
The Last Five Years explores the rollercoaster journey of two New Yorkers as they navigate their five-year marriage asking the question, “Can this couple that were once bonded by a shared love of creativity remain united as their lives move in different directions?”
Jamie’s side of the story starts at the beginning, filled with the fizz of new romance and continues chronologically, while Cathy’s retelling begins at the end, reflecting a much sadder reality and moving backwards. Indicative of the turbulent reality of love on the rocks, The Last Five Years is a beautiful and truly impactful musical that will be on your mind long after the final curtain.
Director Hal Chambers said: “I’ve wanted to direct The Last Five Years for over twenty years. Though my background lies in classical adaptations and new writing, this is the one musical I’ve always dreamed of staging. I’m a passionate admirer of Jason Robert Brown’s extraordinary work - its storytelling, music, and emotional depth are unmatched. The narrative structure, with Cathy moving backwards through time and Jamie forwards, creates a compelling theatrical puzzle reminiscent of a Christopher Nolan film. It feels like a haunting memory play - dreamlike, poetic, and full of magical realism. Our production will lean into that, using bold imagery and movement to explore the ghosts of a relationship and the raw beauty of love and heartbreak. The music is breath-taking - joyful, witty, devastating - and I can’t wait to bring it to life with our cast. Performed in intimate venues, our vision promises a deeply personal and emotionally resonant Last Five Years that captures the show’s unique intimacy and power.”
Explore Gloucestershire
15 September 2025
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