Hope Springs Eternal
“Days will be better than today.”
Song Lyric
Annmarie Cullen’s Remember That Time? is an intimate and heartfelt one-woman show that blends live music with personal storytelling. The stage is sparsely set: a desk with a laptop, a projector aimed at a white screen, a guitar in its stand, and a microphone. This minimalist design immediately draws focus to Cullen herself and the story she is about to tell.
Cullen, who built a successful career as a songwriter in Los Angeles before moving to Barcelona with her wife—twenty years her junior—frames the show around the disintegration of that marriage. After seven years together, her partner ended the relationship, leaving Cullen facing divorce, dislocation, and an uncertain future. The performance begins with her poised at the symbolic threshold of an airport, preparing to fly home to her native Ireland.
What elevates the piece beyond straightforward autobiography is the way Cullen interweaves original songs with candid reflections and projected Zoom calls from friends who urge her forward. The material touches on themes of love, ageing, and resilience, balancing vulnerability with flashes of humour.
One-person shows often risk self-indulgence, but Cullen avoids this pitfall by keeping the performance tightly structured at 50 minutes. Her narrative remains engaging, propelled by both her natural stage presence and, crucially, her strong musical ability. She is not only a capable storyteller but also an accomplished vocalist, and it is the combination of these talents that gives the production its vitality.
The lunchtime audience responded warmly, and with good reason. Remember That Time? is an affecting, concise, and well-judged piece of musical theatre. It delivers personal truth without overstaying its welcome, offering a hopeful reminder that even in endings, there can be renewal.
Theatrevibe awards four festival stars (FFS) to Remember That Time?
Malcolm Beckett has been reviewing theatre since 2017
Production Notes
Remember That Time? A Musical
Written and performed by Annmarie Cullen
Cast
Starring:
Annmarie Cullen
Zoom Friends played by
Comedian Gearoid Farrelly and
Musician Naimee Coleman
Creatives
The play also features songs written with Irish
songwriter Mundy, and Emmy Nominated
songwriter, Jeannie Lurie.
Information
Running Time: 50 minutes
Booking to Saturday 23rd August 2025
Address:
theSpace@SurgeonsHall, Theatre 2
Off Hill Square,
Nicolson St,
Edinburgh
EH8 9DW
Booking: https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2025/remember-that-time-a-musical
Reviewed by Malcolm Beckett at the
Theatre 2 at theSpace@Surgeons’ Hall
at 12.45pm on Tuesday 12th August