In a continuation of this year’s Spring season of A Play, A Pie, And A Pint, The Swansong made its way to The Traverse theatre this week. This is a musical play that sees a young woman on the brink (Lydia played by Julia Murray) take to her local duck pond with a plan to end her life. As she washes her sorrows away with a bottle of gin, she finds company in an unlikely companion – a beautiful swan (Paul McArthur). The Swan tells her he has the power to end her life as soon as she snaps her fingers and truly means it. Hesitant to let her go ahead with her plan, The Swan takes Lydia on one last night of adventure, and on this night, Lydia seems to regain the hope she had lost.
Set against the beautiful compositions of Finn Parker, we are taken along to piano bars, to parks, and eventually to London on the Caledonian Sleeper train. Parker’s writing is balladic and moving, with McArthur and Murray completely giving themselves away to the music. Not only do the two actors display absolute vocal excellence, it is also delivered with such heart and passion.
With Parker providing the swansongs, Eve Nicol provides the book and direction for the show. Nicol’s writing is down to earth and sensitive, really immersing us in the journey with a solid structure and very genuine characters. We root for both Lydia and The Swan as if they were real – we want them to succeed but understand and empathise with the different paths they follow.
The design of The Swansong, by Heather Grace Currie, is centred around this premise that we are in some kind of jazz bar – somewhere lost souls might gravitate to. Currie has captured this in a very classic way, with curtains draped at the back of the stage, and a curved light bar at the foot of it. Although on the surface this may not be a deeply intricate set, on further inspection it works perfectly for this show. With so much attention to detail in each fold of the curtain it might even be too nice to play off as a dingy bar.
What really elevates this show is the use of live musicians – having Dale Parker as Musical Director and on piano, and Rachel Duns on flute and saxophone. Both musicians seem to connect deeply with the music and each other, playing the beautiful lilting melodies with such dynamism. Duns saxophone especially adds something incredibly special to the score, using the sax to sing out in those powerful moments while also giving the quieter moments a raspier, delicate feel. I would absolutely love to see these songs in a cast recording with a fully fledged band – I could listen to them over and over.
I appreciated the involvement of the band in the show, with them having some moments where they called out train announcements and the like, however I do think personally these would have worked better as recordings.
Every element of this show worked in tandem beautifully, but most beautiful of all absolutely had to be the performances of McArthur and Murray. McArthur captured the physicality of a swan with humour and swagger, combining that cockiness of a swan with the gentleness and sarcasm of the man inside. Murray too is absolutely magnetic – I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She captured this very complex character with a multitude of layers, giving so much nuance all at once. She was hopeful yet fed up, tired yet alive – everything about Murray’s performance was absolutely spot on.
The Swansong is such a touching show and while perfectly polished now, I think it can go even further – there’s so much material for expansion and exploration in this, and if the chance comes, I would be first in line to see it again.
Reviewer: Jessie Martin
Reviewed: 17th March 2026
North West End UK Rating: