It was back in 2019 that The Ocean at the End of The Lane, Joel Horwood’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel, opened at the National’s Dorfman Theatre. The pandemic delayed its West End transfer, but the production eventually made it to the Duke of York’s Theatre, before embarking on a tour, and now returns to the West End for a limited run at the Noël Coward Theatre.
It’s received significant acclaim from audiences and critics alike as Gaiman’s stirring story comes to life on stage. What is perhaps most striking about this production is its sense of being so vast; partly this is down to the fantastical storytelling that seems as unlimited as a child’s imagination, but also to the incredible stagecraft that takes its audience on a thrilling, and sometimes terrifying, adventure.
Like the novel on which it’s based, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is exploring memories, our protagonist remains unnamed, but travelling home for his father’s funeral a meeting with Old Mrs Hempstock (Finty Williams) transports us back to his childhood. As a twelve-year-old, ‘The Boy’ has just lost his mother, is plagued by his suitably annoying sister (Laurie Ogden), and scared of what’s in store for his family.
His friend, Lettie (Millie Hikasa) insists that the pond just beyond her garden is actually an ocean, and the disturbance of another world eventually forces them to confront magical forces and tests their resolve as they fight to save everything they hold dear. Is Ursula (Charlie Brooks) a monster from another world, or just a new woman in his father’s life? Remembering is just like imagining after all, says Old Mrs Hempstock.
Director, Katy Rudd makes this epic story feel right at home on one of the West End’s smaller stages, drawing the audience into this fantastic world and bringing to the surface the character’s real motivations. Fly Davis’s set is a wonder to behold, it conjours up ideas of Narnia or Wonderland, in line with The Boy’s favourite books and love of reading.
Combined with Paule Constable’s sumptuous lighting design, the spectacle continues to enthral, but it’s Jamie Harrison’s illusions and Samuel Wyer’s puppets that draw the biggest gasps, shrieks and cries of joy from the audience. Throw in Jherek Bischoff’s eighties inspired music and you’ve got one of the most beautiful sounding and looking shows in the West End.
Keir Ogilvy gives a strong performance as The Boy, showing endless enthusiasm for the role, while bringing out the nuance of the complex character. Alongside Millie Hikasa’s Lettie, the pair are a force to be reckoned with. Charlie Brooks is captivating as Ursula, bending from sickly sweet to pure evil in the blink of an eye.
It’s no wonder The Ocean at the End of The Lane has been such a success, and this brief return to the West End is one final chance to see a production that is breathtakingly magical, in more ways than one.
