Ordinary Days: quick links
Ordinary Days: poetry in chance intersections
The four strangers at the heart of Ordinary Days at fortyfivedownstairs would probably walk past each other on any given day without a second glance. A struggling artist handing out philosophical flyers he believes could change the world, a frazzled graduate student losing her thesis notes, a couple arguing about wine choices – they’re the kind of everyday urban encounters that dissolve into background noise. But Tyran Parke’s production finds the poetry in these chance intersections, revealing how seemingly insignificant moments can reshape lives.
Ordinary Days: entire script replaced by song
Under Parke’s direction, this sung-through musical – where the entire script is replaced by songs rather than traditional dialogue – transforms mundane metropolitan existence into something moving. He’s working with material by American composer Adam Gwon, whose award-winning score finds depth in the ordinary.
What could have been another formulaic city-based romance becomes something more nuanced thanks to Parke prioritising emotional truth over Broadway pastiche. He encourages his actors to inhabit their characters personally rather than replicating familiar theatrical archetypes, and the result feels like theatre that’s immediate and true.
This approach pays dividends across the entire cast. Melanie Bird is exceptional as Deb. Her comedic instincts are flawless, mining humour from moments that lesser actors might miss entirely. Bird creates a fully realised character whose defensive cynicism masks vulnerability.
Her frustrations – academic and personal – feel excruciatingly real, and when serenity finally arrives, it feels like the audience exhales a breath with her that we didn’t know we were holding.
Joel Granger returns to the role of Warren after first playing him in 2017 at Chapel off Chapel (again under Parke’s guidance), and his comfort in the character shows. He’s even kept confetti from that original production – a detail that speaks to his affection for the role. Granger embodies Warren’s relentless optimism without ever tipping into saccharine territory.
His Warren finds joy in the smallest overlooked details of city life and remains genuinely convinced that his handmade flyers contain wisdom worth sharing. In other hands, this character could be overplayed and feel insufferable, but Granger makes him completely loveable.
Bobby Fox brings natural charm to Jason, the romantic whose grand gestures seem to miss their mark. Fox navigates Jason’s well-intentioned but occasionally misguided pursuits with warmth and conviction. Sarah Morrison tackles Claire’s protective layers convincingly, slowly revealing the grief and fear that drive her seemingly unreasonable behaviour.
While the romantic chemistry between Claire and Jason occasionally feels more theoretical than palpable, both actors commit fully to their characters’ journeys.
Ordinary Days: fortyfivedownstairs serves the material perfectly
The intimate fortyfivedownstairs space serves the material perfectly. Every subtle expression and micro-movement registers, creating the kind of immediacy that grants rapport with the audience. Richard Roberts’ minimalist set design proves that effective theatre doesn’t require elaborate spectacle.
A few well-chosen elements transport us seamlessly between New York apartments, museum galleries, and rain-soaked streets.
Vicky Jacobs’ musical direction deserves particular praise. Her live accompaniment elevates Gwon’s score, giving weight and nuance to even the smallest moments. The integration between vocals and instrumentation feels supportive rather than overwhelming the storytelling.
Ordinary Days: technical elements work in harmony
The technical elements work in harmony, with Gavan Swift’s lighting design mirroring the emotional temperature of each scene, and Louisa Fitzgerald’s costuming feeling real and lived-in. Like New York City itself, the production knows when to dazzle and when to offer respite.
The musical’s central message – that beauty exists in reflection rather than inherent grandeur – emerges through character development instead of heavy-handed moralising. It provides comedy and pathos, delivered by four performers who are skilled actors and exceptional singers.
Ordinary Days: warmth and humour
What makes Ordinary Days distinctive is its warmth and considerable humour. Each character grapples with universal challenges that feel recognisable: the difficulty of letting go (Claire’s protective grip on her apartment and New York City as her space), the struggle between ambition and reality (Deb’s reluctance to abandon academic dreams that no longer serve her), the wish to contribute something meaningful (Warren’s gentle belief that sharing wisdoms through his flyers might brighten someone’s day), and the longing for places beyond reach (Jason’s continual desire for destinations both tangible and ethereal that he can never quite access).
These four people are essentially specks in the vastness of New York City, much like the individual brushstrokes in the Monet painting they gaze upon at The Met. Each one may seem inconsequential, but from a distance they’re vital in the creation of something beautiful and meaningful.
In this era when human connection feels increasingly elusive, the play offers hope wrapped in honesty and delivered with considerable skill.
The colours on and around these endearing characters shift and change, just as seasons do, and just as our lives do. By the evening’s end, you’ll likely find yourself walking out into the Melbourne night and looking differently at your own ordinary days.
Ordinary Days will be performed at fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne, until 31 August 2025.
