National Theatre have unleashed their stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s hit novel ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ on a UK tour. Returning to his childhood home, a man finds himself standing beside the pond of the old Sussex farmhouse where he used to play. He’s transported to his 12th birthday when his remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn’t a pond, but an ocean – a place where everything is possible Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them. Currently playing Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre till Saturday 22nd April 2023.
Keir Ogilvy takes the audience on a whimsical, dark and thrilling adventure as The Boy, the lead character in this fantastical play. Keir’s reactions to the dark and spellbinding creatures builds the tension and holds it throughout the production. The energy, emotional portrayal and physical engagement with other performers truly provides such a visual feast for the eyes, as well as a striking portrayal of a boy who faces many struggles. Millie Hikasa portrays the confident, mystical Millie Hempstock, The Boy’s best friend, gifted with powers to take on any “flea”. Keir and Millie bring such magic to the stage with their beautiful performances of two young people entranced in a world of devious creatures and dark events, even in our own world.
Trevor Fox packs a punch as the boy’s dad. The clear struggle of this widowed father is both endearing and disturbing to watch. Trevor does well to bring such a versatile performance where both the fictional and realism of this production are portrayed so richly. With this Trevor also portrays the older version of the boy, even though there is a familiarity, we still see a difference between the two. Laurie Ogden adds to the dysfunctional and at points disturbing family as the young, and juvenile sis. This fully rounded performance acts as a device to build the tension within the family and also cause friction between the boy and their father.
Finty Williams shows power in age as Old Mrs Hempstock, the witchy nuances within this portrayal are clear, yet Finty brings a twinkle to the matriarch which helps make her more accessible to the audience. The mystical and almost celestial presence of Millie’s grandmother is a joy to watch and her journey from the 80s to present day is one which feels like a refreshingly dark fairytale. Kemi-Bo Jacobs portrays the brilliant Ginnie Hempstock, a rather blunt, and unfiltered character, also mother to Millie. Kemi’s performance in this play brings comedy and is the cherry on top of the Hempstock family.
Charlie Brooks is utterly terrifying as Ursula/Skarthach. The devious “flea” truly embeds herself within the boy’s household in a terrifying manner. Charlie’s full demeanour towards Ursula radiates something out of a Stanley Kubrick film, it’s horrifyingly brilliant. You can feel the audience’s adreniline pumping with the sheer presence that Charlie brings to stage as this literal monster.
The ensemble within this production are incredible, they take on a multitude of roles mainly physically building this horrifying and dazzling world on stage, which will undoubtedly stagger audiences across the UK. The movement sequences tackled by this band of performers are stunning. The ensemble are as follows; Daniel Cornish (Alternate Boy), Emma-Jane Goodwin, Paolo Guidi, Lewis Howard, Jasmeen James, Ronnie Lee, Aimee McGoldrick, Domonic Ramsden, Joe Rawlinson-Hunt and Risha Silvera.
Katy Rudd’s direction of this production uses theatre’s toolbox to it’s full potential, making full use of Fly Davis’ jaw dropping set design, with dazzling lighting design from Paule Constable and Jherek Bischoff’s spine-tingling original soundtrack. This is a blockbuster of a theatre production. Katy takes her time developing the characters, ensuring that while the pace is flowing well, Joel Horwood’s adaption of Neil Gaiman’s book is given the attention it deserves, bringing the vibrant, dazzling and haunting characters to life. Steven Hoggett’s movement design is simply stunning, the awareness of the performers in relation to the text is both humourous and highly effective. With this, the monsters featured in this play are brought deviously to life on stage mainly through Steven’s movement choices. Steven is also helped by Samuel Weir’s costume and puppet design. The sequence of The Boy and Millie in the ocean is such an uplifting scene, with the puppetry and movement truly entrancing the audience.
‘The Ocean at The End of the Lane’ is a play for the ‘Strangers Things’ generation. This production is a spellbinding adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s YA novel, bound to thrill, terrify and dazzle audiences for years to come.
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