It’s a perfect day for brunch… Here We Are makes its European premiere at the National Theatre.

As part of this theatre season, the National Theatre is host to the West End – and European – premiere of musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim’s final work, Here We Are. Directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello, the production transferred from its world premiere position off-Broadway in 2023, during which it received a mixture of reviews. Some described it as a witty and skilled final work, while others referred to it as a tedious, shallow, and largely unfinished work by a composer greatly past his prime. When the show had its press night at the National Theatre, it was received in a similar light by UK reviewers who claimed either its brilliance or, in a recurring claim, a fundamentally messy and unfinished musical, with questions of whether it should have been brought to the stage in the first place.

The musical, an adaptation of Luis Buñuel’s two films The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel, follows a group of rich individuals as they attempt to find the ideal spot for brunch. While it seems nothing could go wrong, they experience increasingly strange events at each place they visit, from the ‘Everything Café’ that has run out of all its food, to a restaurant having a secret funeral behind its back curtain. When they have found somewhere ideal to eat, however, they find themselves physically unable to leave the room, leading to themes of existentialism and some touching moments between characters about what it means to be present in the world.

While the first Act of Here We Are is rich with witty songs full of classic Sondheimian lines, its second Act almost completely lacks any musical elements

Having kept up to date with this production since its premiere off-Broadway, I have been eager to experience it for myself after reading its numerous mixed reviews, even writing a separate article for The Boar here. The main point of interest for me and many reviewers has been the fact that Sondheim died before the full score could be finished. While the first Act of Here We Are is rich with witty songs full of classic Sondheimian lines, its second Act almost completely lacks any musical elements, making it feel more like a David Ives play with some Sondheim music rather than the great Stephen Sondheim’s final musical work, comparable to Into the Woods (1986) and Company (1970).

The first Act, comprising the majority of the work’s musical numbers, I did indeed find to be more memorable and engaging than the second, though, at the same time, no single musical number stands out as the great musical number of the work (see ‘Old Friends’ from Merrily We Roll Along (1981), ‘Being Alive’ from Company, ‘A Little Priest’ from Sweeney Todd (1979), etc). While experiencing it in the theatre, it is greatly enjoyable and very humorous, and I found that the music that did exist was a great accompaniment to the story, with the songs and dialogue often seamlessly blending in a way that is undoubtedly Sondheim. After the fact, however, none of the music struck me as particularly memorable; I couldn’t see myself adding any to my musical playlist because they just weren’t especially interesting. I can’t help but agree with those reviewers who felt the unfinished aspect of the work, that the great songs of the piece are left unwritten in the musically barren second Act.

The first half of the story is so ridiculous that it makes for a brilliant and hilarious watch, often emphasising the senselessness of the plot and characters in a way that is extremely entertaining

At the same time, though, I question whether music would even be appropriate in its second Act. The thematic U-turn from a greatly comedic musical criticism of the higher classes to an existentialist play, during which the bishop character (played by Harry Hadden-Paton) literally states that “music is dead – rest in peace”, does not feel like an appropriate setting for the upbeat numbers of the first Act. The second Act overall feels confusing and out of place, as if it hasn’t been polished or finalised quite as much as it ought to. While both Acts were interesting and well-performed individually, I feel they would have performed better as separate works rather than in a combined stage production. The first half of the story is so ridiculous that it makes for a brilliant and hilarious watch, often emphasising the senselessness of the plot and characters in a way that is extremely entertaining, however, the second Act tries to present serious themes quite suddenly, making it somewhat abrupt and distracting.

Jane Krakowski’s performance is majestic and gripping as she floats around the stage in a nightgown in various graceful numbers

While the work’s material may be flawed, it thrives through its delivery with an impressive cast of musical performers. Jane Krakowski’s performance is majestic and gripping as she floats around the stage in a nightgown in various graceful numbers, and Denis O’Hare, who has transferred from the off-Broadway production, is continuously hilarious in his role as various waiters, especially so in ‘Waiter’s Song’. Up-and-coming actress Chumisa Dornford-May plays Fritz, a revolutionary anti-capitalist, and is ultimately one of the standouts of the cast. After seeing her Olivier-nominated performance as Natasha in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, I found her work was equally gripping, funny, and bursting with theatrical and musical talent here, especially when she worked alongside Richard Fleeshman (Soldier) in an odd sequence about a dream he had. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, largely known for his work in Modern Family, was also funny, and while not particularly outstanding musically, he made for some great spoken-theatre moments. While some of the bishop’s (Harry Hadden-Paton) jokes often fell flat with the audience, notably about his fascination with women’s shoes, he delivered one of the most touching moments in the work next to Jane Krakowski as they reflected on what it meant to ‘be’ in the world.

Although I can agree that the musical seems unfinished, there is no doubt that it still makes for a fun watch and great experience with an extremely talented cast. For those questioning whether it is worth seeing just because it marks the end of the Sondheim era, it can equally be enjoyed as its own work, one combining challenging themes with hilarity and ridiculousness.

Here We Are continues its run at the National Theatre until 28 June 2025.