The Life of Us is a new Australian musical by Ben Bennett and Ashleigh Taylor, who also co-star in the show’s world premiere at the Hayes Theatre Co.

A small-scale pop musical about a long-distance relationship, The Life of Us has been three years in development. During that time, it was selected by Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell) to go to the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, which he founded in Los Angeles, where he gave Bennett and Taylor advice on refining the story and rewriting some of the score.

Pippa Grandison, Ashleigh Taylor, Christian Charisiou and Ben Bennett. Photograph © Grant Leslie Photography

The show is now being presented by 100 Coffees Productions and Neil Gooding Productions in association with the Hayes Theatre Co in a production directed by Neil Gooding.

With music and lyrics by Bennett, and a book by Bennett and Taylor (who are also life partners), The Life of Us traces a year in the life of high school sweethearts Charlie, a singer-songwriter-guitarist who dreams of a becoming a pop star, and Ellie, who is embarking on a career as graphic designer.

Charlie is in London with his...