The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (musical)

The Balladeer opens by singing a song introducing the main character, Harold Fry ("Rise Up"). Harold receives a letter in the mail from an old friend named Queenie saying that she is in hospice. He decides to write her a letter and sets out to mail it but walks by several post boxes and the post office before ending up at a garage. The garage employee inspires Harold to walk from where he is to where Queenie is in hospice, from South Devon to Berwick-upon-Tweed, to inspire her to keep living (“Walk Upon the Water”). Harold calls the hospice to tell Queenie of his plan and sets out on his journey (“Song for the Countryside”). Harold also calls his wife, Maureen, to tell her of his plan. Maureen is confused and unhappy, but Harold continues on. He can only call from phone boxes and send postcards because he left his phone behind.

Along his path, Harold meets several people who help him and allow him to contextualize his life and struggles, including a farmer’s wife with no children (“Such is Life”), an older man at a diner who wants to come out as gay (“Shout it from the Rooftops”), and a woman whose husband left her and is unable to use her medical degree as an immigrant (“You’re Fucked”). He also has flashbacks to when he and Queenie worked together. At home, Maureen reflects about how her life has been dull for a while and now she’s alone (“Tin of Soup for One”).

Harold runs into some tourists who find his story inspiring and post photos of him on Instagram. He calls the hospice who tell him that Queenie miraculously seems to be doing better with the knowledge of Harold’s walk and his postcards, and they tell him to keep going (“Keep On Walking Mr. Fry”). Harold becomes a viral sensation from the Instagram post and a group of people join him on his walk, calling themselves pilgrims, starting with Wilf (“The Pilgrim’s Tale”). Harold tells the news how he’s glad that so many people are positively affected by his journey. The Balladeer becomes angry and reveals himself to a startled Harold, who yells out the name David.

Wilf sings the praises of Harold as the pilgrims celebrate (“My Hero Harold Fry”). Harold flashes back to fighting with his son while David was at Cambridge. Harold begins to feel the pressure of so many people relying on him and slowing down his journey. Maureen reflects on when she and Harold met at a dance and how happy they were when they were young (“Such a Simple Thing”). Harold freaks out at Wilf, believing he’s trying to steal something. Harold decides to set out on his own, leaving the other pilgrims behind (“One Foot in Front of the Other”).

As a storm comes on, Harold spirals and is haunted by an apparition of David who blames him for not listening to or supporting him as David struggled with high expectations and his mental health. Distraught, he calls Maureen who encourages him to finish his journey. Harold staggers into a diner, babbling incoherently about his son and sobbing. He writes a postcard to the girl in the garage, telling her that his son committed suicide many years ago (“Dear Girl in the Garage”). After that, his marriage fell apart and he turned to alcohol. He ended up drunkenly vandalizing his workplace, which Queenie took the blame for and got fired, and he’s guilty that he never got to thank her. The girl brings the postcard to Maureen to help her understand Harold’s reasons and encourage her to go to Harold.

Harold arrives at the hospice. Queenie is unresponsive but she can still hear. Harold struggles to find the words to say at first, but is finally able to thank her. Afterward, he sits on a bench on a nearby beach and reflects on his long journey. Maureen joins him and the two reconcile their history and remember the joy of their youth (“Here’s One for the Road”).