The Last Five Years

Jamie Wellerstein

Online, May 2020

Directed by Imogen Albert

Music Direction by Livi van Warmelo

Photography by Imogen Albert

The Last Five Years was my first time acting on camera, and it was Oxford's first virtual musical. I thought I wouldn't enjoy acting on screen as much as the stage, but I was pleasantly surprised. The two are very different, but enjoyable for very different reasons. The photos above were taken days before lockdown in the UK, and the musical was entirely rehearsed, recorded and filmed from lockdown. The music is a huge challenge in itself - if you ever want to learn how to act through song, then I would encourage you to have a go at this show. I was so pleased to see that the final result came together so cleanly.

A devastatingly honest, intimate and universal exploration of two people and how their journeys interact.

Taking place over 5 crucial years, The Last Five Years follows the individual and shared lives of Cathy and Jamie, as they grow together and grow apart. Beginning from the final moments, Cathy demonstrates the devastating effects of a relationship that has crumbled, whilst Jamie revels in the naïve discovery of what he thinks is true love for the first time. From here, the two embark along the same relationship in opposite directions, although along two very different paths. As Jamie becomes increasingly obsessed with his own success, we see Cathy struggling to make it as an artist and find personal prosperity.

With a nuanced and ultimately soul-destroying score, The Last Five Years is a story of discovery and accomplishment, as much as it is one of love and deceit.