The Ocean At The End Of The Lane At Curve Theatre, Leicester Review

Reviewed by H Whetton

Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd.

The Curve theatre is really easy to get to, it’s a lovely bright airy theatre, all of the staff are so nice and helpful, and has disabled access.

From the second we sat down, we knew it was going to be something different and special, just by the very eerie stage set up, the dark vines crawling up the stage wall. And we were not disappointed, it was fabulous, even at the half interval everyone was talking about how amazing this show was, there was a great buzz in the air. The play is based loosely around the past and present and is about a boy/man embracing his inner self ,family and friendship. The first scene shows him as a man brilliantly played by Trevor fox at his fathers funeral, they way they used light was very dramatic and moving. Then it shows him at the Hemstock farm where this play revolves around. Old Mrs Hemsock comes out her house , the man thinks she’s batty he talks to her, then out of no where a cuppa is in his hand and he starts to remember the pond no the ocean at the end of the lane and he is transported back to his 12th birthday .On the boys 12th birthday the boy played by Daniel Cornish, found the family car , in a ditch, stolen by their family lodger, dead in the front seat. He had committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. This is when he first meets Lettie again brilliantly played by Millie Hikasa, the boys dad lets him go to her family farm to wait for him, whilst he deals with the police.

The Hemstock farm is home to Lettie, old Mrs Hemstock played by Fenty Williams and Gennie Hemsock played by Kemi-Bo Jacobs. Both these characters and actors bring a great sense of humour to a quite dark play. As soon as the boy meets the family he realises that they are very different to his own, as they talk about beings, other dimensions, wormholes, and ‘flea’s’ not the kind you find on your dog. Mystical beings that do not belong in our dimension . At first he did not believe them , until he met one, Skarthach, played by Charlie Brooks, the puppetry, costumes, sound and lightening showed a hole other dynamic to the play, The chorography was so smooth Charlie Brooks played it so well it was phenomenal, it was one of my favourite scenes. Lettie thought that she had banished the Skarthach but unknowing to anyone it had created a wormhole inside the boy’s body . The Next day the boys father brings in a new lodger already smitten with her his younger sis introduces her, Ursula . The boy senses something very wrong with her the way she acts the fact that is sis and father are smitten with her in less than 24 hours, how his dads attitude towards him had changed and he had become violent towards him for the first time ever. then he remembers what the Hemstock’s had said about ‘fleas’. When he tries to get to Lettie she stops hip at every attempt, leading to a great scene with lighting and moving doors. He finally climbs out of his bedroom window and makes his way back to the farm. Again, with the use off lighting and props his journey is hard and Ursula finds him in a field , and tries to take him back home, however Lettie finds him and stops her, again a fantastic scene played by both Millie and Charlie. Once safe back in the farm house the boy reveals this hand and the worm hole, Lettie devises a plan, This leads to I guess my favourite scene, the birds flesh eating birds , their role is to destroy anything that does not belong in this dimension’s costumes, lighting, sounds puppetry was amazing, the scene was dark eerie, emotional all rolled up into one just incredible. Unfortunately, it does not work and leads to disaster. No one can save Lettie , boys best and only friend, she has passed over never gone said her grandma, this did not help the boy, so they took these memories away from him and sent him home. His family was very different to earlier without Ursula, quite normal, the bot had realised that he was in fact brave, and strong, Lettie was right its what’s on the inside that counts, his dad could not make toast, but he was trying his best to look after the family on his own, and youngers sisters played by Laurie Ogden , where supposed to be annoying. This scene is heartfelt and emotional. Then time flies back to the present he is a man, still devastated by the loss of Lettie so once again they change his memories.

Everyone who was involved in this play deserved the standing ovation at the end of the show. If you want an emotional rollercoaster, filled with great visual effects and puppetry go and see this play. There is a warning of flashing and strobe lighting also its recommended as an over 12 years old due to some content. I know twelve-year-olds that would love it and some that it would scare.

The play is running until the 11th Feb

Tickets are priced at £30.00 to £40.50.  Concessions are available.

Showing at the Curve theatre from 31st January until the 11th of February 2023.

Box office number 01162423595. www.curveonline.co.uk.

Curve theatre Rutland Street Leicester.