There are some shows where the phrase “one-person musical” sounds like a warning. How long before the lack of another actor becomes noticeable? Will we spend the time wondering where everyone else is? Amanda – The Night Before Me answers those questions rather splendidly because Divina de Campo is more than enough.
Amanda (previously Adam) is preparing for gender-affirming surgery and, during those final hours, looks back over the events that have brought her to this moment. It is essentially a life story told in flashback, taking in family, love, rejection, friendship, self-discovery and the long, often painful journey towards accepting who you are, having lived in the wrong body your whole life. The musical was originally written in German by writer and composer Rory Six (who co-directs along with Jerôme Knols), with this English-language version having lyrics by Charles Hart, best known for The Phantom of the Opera.
It’s a potentially heavy subject, but thankfully this isn’t ninety minutes of theatrical misery as there is plenty of humour in Six’s book, much of it coming from Amanda’s memories of the people who have populated her life. The darker moments consequently have more impact because the show allows us to laugh with her rather than at her.
And then there is Divina de Campo. Playing Amanda and thirteen other characters, de Campo has the task of making us believe that there is a cast of people on stage when there is, in fact, just one – it is an extraordinary performance. Characters are distinguished not through endless costume changes or elaborate make-up but through voice, posture, expression and attitude. One minute de Campo can be a vulnerable Amanda, the next she’s her mother, a lover, a friend, her wife and her son. It could easily become a demonstration of theatrical technique rather than an involving drama, but de Campo never lets the mechanics overwhelm the performance.
As for the songs, De Campo has the vocal range and musical-theatre chops to attack the score with considerable gusto but also knows when to pull back. The quieter songs are often the most affecting, while the bigger numbers provide welcome bursts of energy. Six’s music is melodic and varied, moving comfortably between intimate balladry and more exuberant musical-theatre territory – the psychotherapist song is a real stand-out. Hart’s English lyrics sit naturally within it, avoiding the clichés and trite lyrics that often afflict musicals about important issues.
Timo Verse’s imaginative set deserves particular praise. In the intimate Bridge House Theatre, where the audience is practically sitting on Amanda’s lap, it creates a surprisingly substantial theatrical world. What initially looks like an unusual, soft and cushioned environment gradually takes on a deeper significance, suggesting both her body and the enclosed world Amanda has inhabited – it’s almost womblike and all-encompassing. Another layer is added by Stephanie Affleck’s superb lighting design, which throbs and pulses, often in time with the music, changing colour as Amanda’s mood waxes and wanes.
The 50-seat Bridge House Theatre is an inspired home for the production. There is nowhere for de Campo to hide and no comfortable distance between performer and audience. Every raised eyebrow, vocal inflexion and emotional wobble is there in glorious close-up.
Amanda – The Night Before Me is intimate, funny, sad, and ultimately uplifting – this is not a pity piece but a joyful celebration of one person’s liberation. It confronts all the existential issues that a transgender person faces: Which toilet can I use? Can I stay in my job? How will my family react? The musical addresses all of those and more with subtlety, nuance and poignancy. Tears were shed, and the standing ovation for once was fully deserved.
Review by Alan Fitter
In the sacred hours before her gender affirming surgery, Amanda relives her entire life in a powerful musical monologue. Hidden dreams, familiar lies, forbidden love and hard-won freedom unfold in a dazzling, witty and deeply moving musical monologue.
What unfolds is a theatrical tour de force: an intimate yet epic story told through fourteen distinct characters – mothers, lovers, friends, inner voices – all brought to dazzling life by Divina de Campo.
CAST
Divina de Campo
CREATIVES
Writers – Rory Six and Charles Hart
Directors – Rory Six and Jerôme Knols
Choreographer – Jerôme Knols
Designer – Timo Verse
Lighting Designer – Michael Grundner
AMANDA – THE NIGHT BEFORE ME
Bridge House Theatre
22 September to 10 October 2026
