By Beatrice Smith – Managing Editor, Her Canberra | Photos by Vanessa Valois

Billed as the ‘best musical you’ve never heard of’, Ordinary Days is coming to The Q, and if you’ve been looking for something uplifting to propel you from winter to spring, we may have found it. That’s because Ordinary Days – playing at The Q from 5-7 September – is no ordinary musical.

“I think when most people think musical theatre, they think of jazzy musical numbers, razzle-dazzle, you know,” explains Vanessa Valois, who plays Deb in Ordinary Days. “This musical is not that.

“It’s small, intimate – like watching your favourite TV show with your favourite characters and going on an intimate journey with them.”

Billed as a “hug’ of a musical”, Ordinary Days centres on four characters and follows their New York City-based lives over a handful of days, ample time to form a deep connection.

There’s Warren, the struggling artist; Deb, the driven graduate student; and Jason and Claire, a couple taking the bold step of moving in together for the first time.

While Ordinary Days is a “sung-through” musical, Vanessa says it’s easier to describe it as a play because of the “gorgeous music and underscoring” and each character’s personal, relatable storylines.

Characters such as her role of Deb, who Vanessa describes as searching for her place in the world.

“She’s got huge ambition but doesn’t know how to get there or what she truly wants. She only knows that she wants to do something great,” Vanessa explains. “So, she’s going 100 miles an hour trying to get to something great without really taking stock of whether she’s enjoying the process or even wants to be on that journey in the first place.”

Not only is this four-person show a heart-warming treat for audiences, but Vanessa says it was also a creative joy for the cast and crew. In fact, the production was like a warm rock to cling to in the choppy seas of 2020, with first rehearsals taking place during the Covid lockdowns in 2020. During a time when larger productions ground to a halt, the comparatively small cast offered a lifeline.

“It made me just cherish every rehearsal,” Vanessa enthuses. “It was such a privilege to be rehearsing something and being in a room with people who are just wildly talented.”

Four long years later, Ordinary Days is finally able to be staged as part of The Q Locals Series.

Vanessa couldn’t be happier.

“The ultimate takeaway from this musical is about finding the beauty in everyday things; catching those small glimpses of life that are gorgeous, and embracing that.

“It’s a different show,” Vanessa says in closing. “It’s not a show you see [being staged] often. But it is so beautiful.”

Ready to end your winter with a warm hug? Tickets to Ordinary Days are on sale now via The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. From 5-7 September, $30 – $59.90 via venue.