![](https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Millie-Hikasa-Lettie-and-Daniel-Cornish-Alternate-Boy-inThe-Ocean-at-the-End-of-the-Lane.-Credit-Pamela-Raith-jpg.webp)
Show: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Society: New Victoria Theatre (professional productions)
Venue: New Victoria Theatre. The Ambassadors, The Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey GU21 6GQ
Credits: Based on the Novel by Neil Gaiman. Adapted by Joel Horwood. Directed by Katy Rudd. Produced by National Theatre in association with Playing Field, Richard Winkler, Dawn Smallberg and Madison Wells Live
Type: Sardines
Author: Paul Johnson
Performance Date: 26/01/2023
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Paul Johnson | 28 Jan 2023 05:55am
Millie Hikasa (Lettie) and Daniel Cornish (Alternate Boy) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Credit Pamela Raith
National Theatre is in the middle of a huge tour. It isn’t the NYT or the NYT’s Rep Company, but the mighty full NT and it comes through Woking this week. I must admit, there was a moment when I didn’t think I was going to make it when the entire M25 stopped for thirty minutes while a car accident was sorted. But, thankfully I only missed the first ten minutes or so.
Neil Gaiman’a classic novel goes a long way to give the audience a taste of what the author was imagining. Tha casting of EastEnders’ recently dispatched Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) gets a few extra bums on seats and, at Woking, the entire stalls enjoyed putting their bums on thr posh new seats. In fact the whole theatre has been packed all week. Lots of teenagers, and how they’ll benefit from seeing the play performed via the directrial hand of Katy Rudd.
This production is something of a horror story and it shows just how far technology has come in theatre these days. Sound and lighting are essential to get right and, to that end, Paule Constable (Lighting) and Ian Dickenson (Sound) must be congratulated. I feel that Jamie Harrison (Magic and Illusions) must have added his expertise especially when it comes to using the movable doors.
What am I talking about? Go and see the show and you’ll know. What is clear is how well Rudd has done to bring Neil Gaiman’s magical memories to life. The day after press night (I missed Dame Judi Denchcoming to watch her daughter Finty Williams perform) saw The Boy’s alternate actor performing (Daniel Cornish) in place of Keir Ogilvy – and he was brilliant! Brooks plays the evil Ursula and is terrifying when she disappears through one door only to walk out of an opposite one seconds later (misdirection at its best!).
Lettie Hmepstock (Millie Hikasa) sets out to protect and save ‘The Boy’ from his own thoughts and fears. Adding to the mystery is the aforementioned Finty Williams as Lettie’s grandmother, Old Mrs Hempstock and Lettie’s mother Ginnie Hempstock. They are a couple of wild hippies who believe in magic. But I really enjoyed the movement of the ensemble who were brought into the action by Rudd to either lift people up and move them around, change the set around in an entertaining stop-start method (you had to be there) or just hold various dolls’ heads in mid-air as if they we floating. Boy’s vollatile father is played by Trevor Fox in a very cconvincing Geordie accent. But full plaudits must go to the two lots of giant puppets directed by Finn Caldwell; terryfiying is putting it mildly.
I do hope you weren’t expecting a nice tidy review of a set plot, bacause the complex show deserves much more. so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do withsome of my thrown together observations. Suffice to say the end result is wonderfully dreamlike.
Long live the NT!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane continues touring until the Autumn – thats nearly a year on the road.