The musical adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, running in a Cornwall fishing harbor setting, alters F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic tale into a folkloric, story-theatre piece. Directed by Jethro Compton, the production follows an aging Benjamin—played by Durand—as he grows younger in a rural English village.
Relocates Narrative to Southern England Fishing Village
- The musical relocates Fitzgerald’s sprawling American narrative to a single wooden dockside set in a southern England fishing village, focusing on local community life rather than global travels.
- Actor Durand portrays Benjamin starting in his 70s in the year 1918, wearing a three-piece suit, bowler hat, and pipe while using a cane and glasses.
- Instead of traditional staging, the ensemble cast handles all exposition snippets, plays the instrumentation as a de facto band, and performs Celtic ditties and sea chanties.
The Shift From Epic Fable to Village Tea-Cozy
Fitzgerald wrote his fantasy about the birth of a boy in 1860 in Baltimore who is born looking and feeling elderly and grows increasingly younger over the years. The 2008 David Fincher film starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett expanded that premise across the United States and various global locations from 1918 to 2005. By contrast, this stage version by Jethro Compton and Darren Clark roots its tone, music, and choreography firmly in a Cornwall hamlet.
Benjamin’s mother dies by suicide out of shame following his birth, while his embarrassed father hides the infant in a cottage attic. As Benjamin gains physical strength, he sneaks away to a local pub and strikes up a relationship with a young barmaid named Elowen, played by Kelsee Kimmel.
Relies on Story-Theatre Techniques with Recurring Motifs
Rather than showing the sweep of Benjamin’s entire life, the production relies on story-theatre techniques that tell more than they show. Reviewers note that the staging functions similarly to a dramatized audiobook set to music. The ensemble cast cycles through thick-accented, quirky village characters, deploying line-dancing, foot-stomping, and hand-clapping choreography.
While Durand delivers a touching, understated performance as Benjamin alongside Kimmel’s grounded portrayal of Elowen, the surrounding script leans heavily on recurring motifs. Time references appear with relentless frequency throughout the lyrics and dialogue. Despite these repetitive structural choices, a few melodic numbers manage to survive the relentless sea chanties and upbeat folk numbers.
| Adaptation | Primary Setting | Time Span / Starting Age | Key Creative Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Fincher Film (2008) | United States & Global Locations | 1918 to 2005 (Born aged 80s) | Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, David Fincher (Director) |
| Off-Broadway Musical | Cornwall Fishing Harbor, England | 1918 onward (Starting aged 70s) | Jethro Compton (Book, Lyrics, Direction), Darren Clark (Music, Lyrics) |
Understated Performances Amid Celtic Cutes
The success of the production largely rests on the audience’s tolerance for broad, whimsical character work and traditional folk elements. While the script minimizes philosophical insights about life and love in favor of accessible local color, the central performances maintain an emotional anchor. Durand’s wide-eyed bewilderment and Kimmel’s warmth provide necessary grounding against an otherwise relentless wave of rustic theatricality.
