Destiny Church hosts Handiwork’s Christian musical that makes its Scottish debut on the 23rd August, before heading on tour around parts of England.
It Is Well With My Soul is a musical about Philip Bliss, the man who wrote the music for the famous hymn of the same name. After returning home from the civil war in America Bliss finds his way by writing gospel music, making friends along the way that further his career and strengthen his faith.
Adam Stone is Philip Bliss. Stone gives a tour de force of a performance. His voice is beautiful and his vocals carry the production. His Philip Bliss is soft, upbeat and very friendly. His performance is gentle and subtle, carrying the audience along with him effectively. He’s rarely off stage but still his energy never dips. The range and control in his voice is excellent and hints at some serious stage experience.
Katrina Markham is Philip’s wife, Lucy Bliss. Markham’s portrayal of Lucy is lovely. She gives Lucy a bright presence and an honest kindness. Her voice is fantastic and her vocals are a lovely addition to the joyful noise on stage. Always there for Philip, Markham’s Lucy is a voice of reason in the whirlwind he finds himself in.
Henry Leigh-Hunt plays the lyricist Horatio Spafford. Leigh-Hunt gives us an empathetic Horatio. Baring the brunt of most of the heartbreak in the story, he has a lot to go through in the show. His vocals are another joy to listen to, and he always earns his spot on the stage.
Gareth Hides plays D L Moony. His charismatic preacher is such a presence on stage, making many appearances throughout and always with a commanding performance, Hides gives a great portrayal here. With vocals worthy of the biggest stage, he elevates any song he is in.
Joy-Anna Gooch plays Clara Young and Anna Spafford. Gooch gives an innocence to Spafford and provides range between her two portrayals, making them both clear and defined to the audience. Arjan Binnema is Walter Guest among some other characters. He gives each character a decent, lived-in feeling and provides some lovely vocals to boot. Matt Sunners plays multiple roles as well as George Root. Sunners’ performance for each is excellent. His accent work is good and his pronunciation is clear. His vocals could use a little more confidence as he belongs up there with the rest. Lizzie Tatton plays multiple roles. She pops in and out of the action, but always matches the energy needed and is a strong member of the supporting cast.
David Robinson and Beck Rodda direct. They achieve a consistent tone here and fill the space nicely. They use stylisation and physical tableaus that provide some visuals feasts and impactful moments.
Gareth Hides, as well as singing his heart out on stage, writes the book, music and lyrics of the production. His work here is excellent. The original music is fantastic, the songs are catchy and the Melodies effective, the harmonies are a cacophony of beautiful sounds that pull at the heart strings. Hides also manages to incorporate some well known hymns into the musical, giving them new life and adding to the clear tone set in this production. The climax of the story and the homage paid to the It Is Well With My Soul truly are emotional moments that effectively evoke all the right feelings, making every word hit harder than ever before. The way in which the tragedies of the story are handled is delicate and respectful, the sad parts really land with a gut punch and the music only elevates these moments.
The main theme of maintaining hope and peace in the face of tragedy is something we can all take with us and reminds us how to think when so many horrific events happen so often nowadays. Overall, this production is one to catch before it heads off down south.
Theatre Scotland 
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