What a night! We have wanted to see this performance since it premiered at the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, in 2019, huge thanks to Nottingham Theatre Royal for giving us the chance to experience this amazing spectacle. Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is an amalgamation of magic, physical theatre, contemporary dance, and thriller genius. It makes you consider if the things you remember from childhood were fantastical imaginings or actual experiences.
I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and anyone familiar with their writing knows that he has a gift for blending fantasy and reality in a way that makes you believe in the magic the world could have if you just looked in the right place, Joel Horwood’s adaptation brings childhood memories to life mixing the imagination of the lead character and the actual magic of the women of the Hempstock family.
The story follows a man who returns to where he grew up and finds himself drawn to the Hempstock farm, where he encounters a familiar face that sends him on a journey into his past, reliving a traumatic and magical experience that had the potential to change his life forever… were he to remember it. The younger version of this man is masterfully portrayed by Kier Ogilvy and his friendship with Lettie Hempstock, played by Millie Hikasa, brought a smile to my face and tear to my eye at different moments. Old Mrs Hempstock, played by Finty Williams had such masterful switches between spellbinding power and laugh out loud hilarity and Charlie Brooks, in the role of Ursula/Skarthach, in my opinion, had some of the most memorable moments of the show.
I feel I must also mention the ensemble, their beautiful blend of physical theatre and contemporary dance movement was transportative, whilst you could see them operating puppets and moving set, it was done in a way that added to the atmosphere of tension and humour conjured by this production and suddenly made the act of holding an old broken toy something beguiling and magical.
The haunting score that blends epic soundscapes and spine tingling electronica, composed by Jherek Bischoff, has become a regularly played album on our phone, with The Binding Song, becoming the song we now dance to in the kitchen whilst we pretend to entrap demons.
That is a production that will stay with you and have you remembering new moments for days after, I truly cannot recommend this enough and I advise you to dip your toes into The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, on till Saturday 17 June 2023. Get your tickets here.
Review by Ro Carter & David Beer
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