Music and Lyrics: Kjersti Long and Jeremy Long
Book: Melissa Leilani Larson
Directors: Jennifer Tang and Joshua Long
Kjersti Long’s Little Piece of You is described as “an atypical musical in concert” that may have fared better as a concert alone. Teenage songwriter Kjersti Long makes her West End debut in a show of largely her own creation, and while her performance is impressive, the content of the lyrics contradicts a plot that leaves much to be desired.
Mother-daughter duo Mica Paris and Dujonna Gift play a variety of characters within a single lineage throughout the show but primarily embody Shannon and Britt, respectively. 16-year-old Brittany is struggling socially but is supported vicariously by her rock idol Sydney Hill (Kjersti Long). Following Sydney’s apparent suicide, however, Britt drops school altogether and sinks into a depressive art episode.
The events that follow are well-intentioned but often get lost in what feels like a competition with the music. Husband Ethan (David Bedella) tries his very best to support his wife through her own years-long depression. Though he’s characterised as the “bad guy,” Bedella is a standout character and the most realistic of the bunch. He takes grand steps to encourage Shannon in her interior design work, but Shannon agrees to her daughter’s proposal to abandon real-world responsibilities (school/work) to paint instead. The duo cast reality aside and secretly bond through art, which, while touching, does little to flesh out the themes of mental health.
While Melissa Larson is credited with the book, the dialogues feel immature, with the parent almost always caving to the child’s outrageous demands. Act Two travels back in time through generations, and the conversations are the same in principle. The family tree exploration is richer in its emotional depth, but it’s too little, too late. Whichever daughter Dujonna Gift is playing always gains the upper hand in her parental arguments, and they just don’t feel real. The second act does delve into themes of suicide and self-harm, heavier subjects that are weighed appropriately but don’t feel earned. The characters are so shallowly characterised that it’s hard to feel for them.
The music, courtesy of Kjersti, is no issue. The lyrics are somewhat superficial, but the tunes are palatable and catchy. The pop-rock ballads performed by Sydney Hill, even post-mortem, are a blast, and the whole score is a solid debut. The show is accompanied by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, who bolster the whole score. Besides a couple of crunchy orchestration quirks, the adapted singer/songwriter tracks sound great, performed by Paris and Gift, and it’s nice to see Kjersti entrust so many personal numbers to the other actors.
It would have been nice to see Kjersti show off some songwriting range with a song for Ethan, which Bedella’s performance certainly earns. The principal issue is that the songs don’t quite match the show’s lofty emotional ambitions. Not every story beat needs a song, but Little Piece of You inserts them anyway, which results in some jarring cues.
It’s impossible not to mention the ensemble onstage, particularly the dancers. The backup singers earn their keep, but the real oddity is the remaining ensemble; many numbers sung by Paris or Gift are accompanied by busy interpretive dance that clutters the stage. The dancers are talented and practised, but the fact remains that their presence distracts and occasionally confuses.
Little Piece of You fails to be a successful commentary on modern mental health but succeeds in delivering a fun project by a talented young artist who is clearly passionate about her craft. The truth is, the themes of mental health throughout Kjersti’s music would be more potent on their own. She “wrote [the] music as a way to help [herself] and others through emotions,” which is noble. But given the resources that clearly went into making this production, it should have been more substantial. The song lyrics are chock-full of teenage angst and feelings, and that’s okay. On a West End stage, though, the cracks in the supplementary story shine bright and detract from what could be a personal, emotional concert.
Runs until 1 November 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Should’ve been a concert
