Subtlety isn’t usually a notable aspect of musical theatre. A deluge of the most popular shows on the West End are unapologetically filled with feel-good show tunes, camp glitz and simplistic plots that take a back seat to the theatrics. And that’s all well and good. But what about a more nuanced, more believable take on the genre?

The Last Five Years is a pretty good attempt at such a thing. Jason Robert Brown’s one-act, two-person production is about the breakdown of the marriage between struggling actress Cathy (Catherine Harrison) and up-and-coming novelist Jamie (Dan Garsin). The twist is that both characters’ accounts are shown side-by-side, but Jamie’s begins with their first date and Cathy’s runs in reverse, starting at the relationship’s end. This isn’t quite as clever as it thinks it is; dual narratives and non-chronological plots are, after all, devices that have interested many writers. But although the technique decreases narrative suspense, it greatly increases the emotional poignancy between the characters, most notably at the musical’s end.

The reasons given for the break-up (adultery, suspicion, tensions caused by the couple’s varying degrees of professional success) are ones commonly explored, and unfortunately there is only so much emotion anyone can evoke when restricted to the medium of song. But the cast’s singing and acting manages to be sufficiently strong and well-characterised throughout, meaning that the performance remains captivating and subtle, vital when the cast numbers only two, and almost all the numbers are solos. Singing straight to the audience or to the empty space the partner is imagined to be in shows Cathy and Jamie’s internalised frustrations, and their failures to communicate; Harrison and Garsin’s duet in the middle of the story, the pivotal moment when their opposing timelines collide and they share the same physical space on-stage, is joyous to watch. It is during some of the longer solos that the set-up begins to feel a little stagnant, and the audience as weary of Cathy and Jamie as their opposing number.

Having a live, six-person band (plus conductor) on stage and in full view of the audience places the music right alongside the lyrics, ensuring that it is as integral to the production as it should be. Some of the subtlety of the production is sacrificed, of course, but The Last Five Years never pretends to be entirely realistic. And the band does a good job, playing without fault a score that encompasses many different styles. It is a shame that the music occasionally overwhelms some of the lyrics, just as the band's presence risks overwhelming the actors.

Sometimes this stripped-down musical just doesn’t have enough story, but for its unusual form of storytelling and the draw of believable doomed love, The Last Five Years is worth a watch.