Review: Once at Pitlochry Festival Theatre | Once musical Scottish premiere

Name: Once (musical)
Brand: Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)

Lisa in the theatre
18 hours ago
4 min read

Updated: 5 minutes ago

The highly anticipated Pitlochry Festival Theatre production and Scottish premiere of Once runs in Pitlochry until 27th June 20026. Read my review below.

Once at Pitlochry ★★★★☆

Review: 30 May 2026 | Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Launching Pitlochry Festival Theatre's 75th anniversary season, and Alan Cumming's first as Artist Director of the much-loved "theatre in the hills" is Once, a musical that has already been a hit in the West End and on Broadway, but which makes its Scottish premiere under the direction of John Tiffany in Pitlochry.

Once, the musical, written by Enda Walsh with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, is based on John Carney’s 2007 film. Set in Dublin, the story follows Guy (Dylan Wood) - a struggling busker and hoover-repair man - and Girl (Lydia White) - a spirited Czech immigrant who also has musical talents - who meet and set out to help each other, but accidentally fall in love.

John Tiffany has shrewdly staged Once at Pitlochry as an actor-muso show. The cast are the orchestra, and the orchestra are the cast. For a show about buskers with music at its beating heart, it works beautifully.

But what is so clever and refreshing about Tiffany's direction is that his cast never perform to the audience. The lead "guy" and "girl" sing to each other; and the ensemble actors weave among themselves, talking and playing as if in natural everyday life. This does mean that sometimes the actors can have their backs to the audience, but it's authentic and enthralling. It gives the whole show an intimate aura as if we've walked into an Irish pub and just happen to be eavesdropping on a conversation and an impromptu music session.

Bob Crowley's stripped-back stage design incorporates a huge mirror on the back wall so the audience never loses sight of the players. In the mirror, we can also see that the cast are really playing the piano too; they really are that talented! It's all expertly considered and very effective. Sometimes musical theatre in particular can feel like a concert, with solo numbers static and overly performative, but that's far from the case here.

With the open stage at Pitlochry Festival Theatre almost spilling out into the audience too, Once feels almost immersive. And indeed, audience members can go onto the stage before the show to buy a drink from the bar and to join the cast in a pre-show musical jam if they desire.

The cast of Once at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan — Once at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Once is a music-forward production. The book is so slight that really, not much happens at all. Two people meet, and through various soulful, folky songs, we watch them fall in love but be unable to do anything about it. Guy and Girl's relationship is the definition of "it's complicated."

The rhythmic music is the focus of the show, and although it is beautifully performed by a hugely talented cast, the soundtrack does lean towards maudlin. It could do with an injection of a couple of upbeat toe-tapping tunes, and for one or two existing songs to be removed. As good as they all are, Once does veer towards having too many songs; and with the very fun and highly appreciated pre-show running too long into the start of the show too; there is such a thing as 'too much of a good thing.'

Oscar-winning song Falling Slowly is the highlight of Once at Pitlochry.

But that's no surprise as, in my opinion, it's one of the best new songs in musical theatre or in general, this century.

Dylan Wood and Lydia White are sublime in the lead roles, with Charlie West's Billy and Laurie Jamieson's bank manager, Allison Harding's Barushka and Connor Going's Eamonn providing excellent support and often, welcome comic relief too. Sean McLevy's Da is a magnificent character, so beautifully realised; while Loris Sacrpa, and Jos Slovick perhaps have the trickiest jobs of all, having to tackle not Irish but Czech accents, alongside their lines, choreography and instruments. Thankfully, all of the cast do an incredible job with the non-native accents, the playful Dublin slang scattered throughout is just as warming and witty in the show as it is in real life.

Dylan Wood

If there's any justice in the world, this production of Once will make a household name out of Dylan Wood, who already has a string of excellent Scottish theatre productions under his belt, as well as an acclaimed run as Orpheus in Hadestown in London's West End. As the disillusioned Irish street musician here, he is remarkably still and calm, every movement considered and impeccably timed. His soft voice, coupled with his effortless musicality and stage presence, is an intoxicating mix. If you are a Dylan Wood fan, his performance here is worth the price of your ticket alone.

Once is an unconventional, bittersweet musical, yet it still manages to be oh so romantic. There are gorgeous moments peppered throughout the show that made my heart skip a beat. It's brilliant to finally have this delightful, very different musical on stage in a theatre in Scotland, and it's a fabulous way to open Pitlochry Festival Theatre's 75th anniversary season.

Once is well worth a drive to the stunning location in the Perthshire highlands, and to what is soon to be, if Alan Cumming has his way, THE destination theatre in Scotland. ★★★★☆