The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Musical with a Folkie Twist

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button swaps New Orleans for a Cornish fishing village for a different interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tale of a man who ages in reverse. 

A few weeks ago, Kenz and I found ourselves with a free Saturday night as Lady Yeya was at a sleepover. With a stressful few months, we didn’t have a chance to get excited about our upcoming kid-free evening. At the last minute, we booked tickets to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the Ambassador Theatre for our long-awaited date night. 

Benjamin Button Goes to Cornwall

Most of us know the 2008 movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is played by Brad Pitt as the man who ages in reverse with Cate Blanchett as his love interest set in 19th century America. The musical adaptation transports us to a tiny Cornish fishing village, a tribute to the producerJethro Compton’s hometown. 

Despite the tragic events highlighting the human experience of love, death, and tragedy, the musical adaptation is life-affirming and uplifting. Like the movie, Benjamin is born old, but with a full mature adult’s mind rather than as a baby. Played by John Dagleish who did an exceptional job playing “infant” to “elder” Benjamin Button, all aided by the type of clothing as he de-ages over the decade. 

Benjamin later meets a free-spirited and bohemian barmaid Elowen whom he develops a romantic interest in. Elowen, played by Clare Foster, is affable and lighthearted. But circumstances kept them apart until they reunited during World War II. Now roughly the same age, Elowen and Benjamin become inseparable, a remarkable love story that withstood the test of time. The audience was left in tears as he said goodbye to his beloved Elowen, reminding us to never take anything for granted. 

Musical Folkie Twist 

The 13 strong troupe of actor-musicians all played an integral part of the musical. All the ensemble played different instruments from acoustic guitar to violin to the double bass, to the harmonica, giving the musical a true folkie twist. The musical ensemble delivered an excellent performance, all energetic, and engaging. Don’t miss this wonderful musical playing at the Ambassador Theatre until mid-February 2025.