The words ‘one man musical’ don’t usually inspire queues for a ticket but the sell-out show ‘ Stay Awake Jake ’ at VAULT Festival is a surprisingly rousing and spectacular contemporary love story.

The new musical follows Jake, a young man driving all night from London to make things up with the woman he loves in Carlisle. Stay Awake Jake is not quite that simple or predictable though and as his inner monologue of memories goes on throughout the car journey, you understand what happened to their relationship and why he must drive all night to get to her.

The story feels incredibly contemporary, battling the ups and downs of modern relationships and what it means to be a man in this day and age. As Jake sings ‘I look like a man but I act like a child’, it’s hard not to relate as someone who has grown up in the Peter Pan generation.

The script, which is entirely sung, has been developed by Tim Gilvin and is performed by Jamie Muscato, current star of the West End musical version of Bend It Like Beckham, accompanied by keyboardist Jo Cichonska and cellist Maria Rodriguez. Don’t let the singing put you off though, this is a musical for people who hate musicals.

Muscato’s performance is excellent, never wavering through an entire hour of singing and drawing you into the emotions of the character which crescendos in dramatic revelations as Jake gradually approaches his destination.

‘Stay Awake, Jake’ is just one of the many performances taking place in the 8 venue space underneath Waterloo’s railway tunnels for VAULT Festival. From theatre, dance, and comedy to a film festival and late night parties in their bar and restaurant, it’s worth heading down, picking a show to sit in on and staying for a drink. It’s the Edinburgh Fringe for Londoners and not only is it an evening of great entertainment, but it’s also a way to support the unfunded creative scene.

The Festival runs until 6th March and you can browse the calendar of events and book tickets through their website www.vaultfestival.com.