Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane, New Wimbledon Theatre

Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane, New Wimbledon Theatre

Summary

Rating

80

Excellent

Whilst there is so much to love about this show, it’s the ensemble who deserve some of the biggest praise as they bring to life this fantasy drama with their fabulous yet understated skills.

I lament the lack of big budget fantasy dramas on stage. London’s theatre is overrun with musicals, filled with X-Factor rejects, soap stars and Strictly contestants, all of which is fine; after all, they put bums on seats. However, given that this audience is well served, what is there for those of us who yearn for good drama or a dose of fantasy instead?

This niche is filled by The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s book. This play wowed on the West End and successfully translates its magic as it stops off at New Wimbledon Theatre as part of a national tour.

The story, on the surface at least, is fairly typical. Loner Boy (Keir Ogilvy) befriends Lettie Hempstock (Millie Hikasa), but it is soon revealed she is not quite the young girl she first appears. When Lettie takes him into another realm to investigate the “flea” that is trying to enter into their world, it triggers a series of events that allows Ursula (Charlie Brooks) into his family’s home to cause havoc, which Lettie must somehow fix.

As with all the best fantasy writing, there is much more to this story than monsters and magic. Dig a little deeper and you find a story about grief, hope, family and friendship. When the wonderfully eccentric Finty Williams’ Old Mrs Hempstock talks about Boy having a hole in his heart, it is so much more than the literal hole through which a creature has entered into Boy’s world; it is also the hole left by the death of his mother and the strain in his relationship with his dad.

The central pairing of Ogilvy and Hikasa is amazing. Ogilvy portrays Boy with a mix of sadness and grief, but also with a sense of wonder in what he finds with his new friend and her rather strange family. However, It is Hikasa as Lettie who shines the brightest. She finds a perfect balance between excitement at having found a friend yet simultaneously hints at being old and wise beyond mortal comprehension. Strong supporting performances surround this duo: Trevor Fox’s Dad presents a heart wrenching struggle to keep his young family together while Laurie Ogden’s Sis is full of youthful excitement at the prospect of Ursula entering their lives and filling part of the void left by their mother’s death. The Hempstock dynasty is completed by Kemi-Bo Jacobs who maintains a semblance of family order.

Strong praise is due to the ensemble, who are a truly incredible bunch. Precisely choreographed by movement director Steven Hoggett, they bring the experience vividly to life and add the depth of imagination Gaiman’s writing deserves. At times they glide across the stage to move scenery, cleverly pausing or retreating as actors ponder or reconsider their own movement. Other times they manhandle actors into floating and falling motions to create captivating fight scenes. It is through the use of puppetry to create monsters that you can only sit in awe at the whole spectacle. They bring to life a soul-sucking monster, growing at it moves, twisting and turning to dominate the whole stage, while their Evil “hunger birds” cast shadows in the darkness, using light to create a brilliantly sinister atmosphere. It is impossible to look away.

Although my heart lies with fringe theatre, The Ocean at the End of The Lane is firmly deserving of its place at larger venues and an asset to London’s theatre scene, drawing in audiences with less mainstream preferences such as myself. It is easy to see why this was such a success on the West End, and there is no doubt that this touring production will be wowing audiences all across the country.

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Based on the novel by: Neil Gaiman
Adapted by: Joel Horwood
Directed by: Katy Rudd
Movement direction by: Steven Hoggett
Costumes and puppet designs by: Samuel Wyer
Lighting design by: Paule Constable
Sound design by: Ian Dickinson (for Autograph)
Produced by: National Theatre

The Ocean at the End of the Lane plays at New Wimbledon Theatre until 15 April before it continues on a national tour through to October. Full dates and ticketing information can be found here.