Midnight at the Never Get is set in 1960s New York and tells the story of a singer and composer who fall in love and create a cabaret act together. It is a time when homosexuality is criminalised and gay bars are routinely raided by the police. When Trevor (Ben Platt) and Arthur (Gregor Milne) decide not to alter the pronouns in their love songs, they effectively consign themselves to performing in back-room venues such as Greenwich Village's The Never Get rather than pursuing mainstream success. Mark Sonnenblick has written a show that captures this dark chapter in LGBTQ+ history with sensitivity and warmth, accompanied by a score that is steeped in the traditions of the Great American Songbook. The ballads are deeply affecting; the comic numbers are clever and catchy. The melodies are memorable, and the lyrics are literate. The book is full of heart, and at its centre is a love story that feels entirely convincing. Equally compelling is the show's exploration of the political climate and the differing ways its characters respond to it: whether to assert oneself openly or accept the status quo in the interests of survival. Sonnenblick has created complex, engaging characters, and Ben Platt and Gregor Milne bring them vividly to life. Platt is particularly effective in the comic numbers, where his timing and charisma shine, though he also conveys Trevor's emotional vulnerability with sincerity. Milne provides an assured and moving counterpart, and together they create a partnership that is both believable and touching. If there are reservations, they lie chiefly with the storytelling devices. The decision to frame the relationship in retrospect, to employ a familiar meta-theatrical conceit and to break the fourth wall repeatedly feels unnecessary. Such techniques, now so common in contemporary theatre, can suggest a lack of confidence in the strength of the material itself. In truth, Sonnenblick's story is more than compelling enough to stand on its own. The show's political dimension also gives it a resonance beyond its period setting. Even today, despite the increased visibility of openly gay performers, songs celebrating same-sex relationships remain comparatively rare in the musical mainstream, making Midnight at the Never Get feel not only historically illuminating but quietly challenging. The final twist provides an inventive means of bringing the narrative to a close, although it raises a few continuity questions and arguably lingers a little too long, with its emotional aftermath edging towards sentimentality and becoming emotionally manipulative. Those are relatively minor quibbles, however. At its best, Midnight at the Never Get is a beautifully written, richly melodic and emotionally generous musical that honours a forgotten chapter of queer history while telling a timeless tale of love, art and the courage to be seen.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Jonathon Persson
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