There are a handful of jukebox musicals that can make you deeply reflect upon your life, and In Dreams is one of them. After leaving the auditorium, I found myself contemplating my existence, loved ones, and relationships with the deceased. While I am not a huge fan of Roy Orbison’s music (which might betray my age), I thought the craftsmanship of David West Read (Schitt’s Creek, & Juliet) in creating both funny and heart-warming situations, along with the direction by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, In The Heights), and the talent of the cast, produced an amazing piece of theatre.

When Kenna (Lena Hall – what a treat), the former lead vocalist of a semi-successful country-rock band Heartbreak Radio (we see what happened here) finds herself in a course changing situation, she decides to throw a party to celebrate her life with her former colleagues: the-serious-couple-with-multiple-children Jane (Sian Reese-Williams) and Don (Noël Sullivan) and her on-and-off long-lost fling Ramsey (Oliver Tompsett). Nicole (Gabriela García) and Oscar (Manuel Pacific), together with Grandma Ana Sofia (Alma Cuervo) are running a family Mexican restaurant that cater margaritas, Mexican food and traditional bereavement services. Together with Tom (Leon Craig), the cook that is also the number one fan of the band, they agreed to help Kenna cater for her event. Would Kenna find her peace, or will we see a Communication Breakdown happening?

The show was full of charm and wit, featuring amazing performances and well-crafted characters that taught us more about Day of the Dead and Mexican culture in general. The songs drove the plot forward, and few of them seemed shoe-horned in just to include audience favourites. Additionally, the majority of the jokes landed well with the audience. The use of projection was charming, and the set design was reminiscent of “Waitress”.

One area for improvement in future iterations of this show may be the pace and dialogue. The exposition felt heavy-handed, and I would have appreciated more information about the band during its heyday. At times, the dialogue was wooden – for example, when Nicole confesses to Oscar that she can never be his long-dead parents. Additionally, some characters seemed underdeveloped. All in all, You Got It, “In dreams”. Although the subject matter is a sober one, the music, humour, charisma and talent of the actors create a feel-good piece of art that remind us once again that life is worth living and, in our daily existence, “we build strength to carry over the memory of the people we lost”. I am sure this will not be the last time we would hear of this show.