The Ocean at the End of the Lane Review

Reviewed by Hannah S-W

I was super excited to be able to get to see The Ocean At The End Of The Lane stage adaptation of the book starring Charlie Brooks, most well known for her role in EastEnders, and it was safe to say I was not disappointed in the slightest.

The show has been rated a five-star spectacular and I had extremely high hopes as it was from the producers of War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Having seen both of these show adaptations I knew I was in for a treat. The show from the outside gives “Stranger Things” vibes with the programme graphics lending itself to this straight off.

The show starts out with a man standing beside the pond of his childhood home reminiscing about days gone by. As he is approached by an old lady he slowly starts to remember lost and forgotten memories of Lettie a friend he once knew. Within a blink of an eye his younger self runs across the stage and he is transported back to his 12th birthday where he first met his friend. Clever use of the stage and actors is seen from here on out as the man who was once reminiscing about his past changes character and becomes the father to his younger self. The show becomes enthralling and pulls the viewer deeper in to the story. Lettie tells her new found friend all about the magical world on the edge of reality. Upon hearing about a “flea” ( a magical creature) on the edge of their reality attempting to cross over, Lettie and the boy go on an adventure to bind the flea and to show the boy the different wonders that can be explored. Unfortunately things do not quite go to plan and the flea bridges the gap between the two worlds and enters in to reality. Lettie and the boy must do everything in their power to return the flea.

All of the cast were masters of their trade and truly captured every moment on stage perfectly. The boy played by Keir Ogilvy remained on stage for 90% of the time and never once let up on his energy and intensity in the role. At points the stage hands were manoeuvring members of the cast around to create “matrix” style visuals. Charlie Brooks’ performance as Ursula was captivating to watch to go from flea, to sugar sweet human, to evil in the blink of an eye, was a sight to behold.

The staging was phenomenal, the show cleverly used the stage hands when scene changing and they became part of the show and interacting with the main cast. The slight of hand and miss direction from the cast was a joy to behold and easily made the viewer believe that magic was real and being performed right In front of your very eyes. At one point I was actually convinced that Charlie Brooks could actually portal around the stage to enable her to appear in so many places at once not to mention the levitation she accomplished as well. The special effects were also captivating, simple, clever and affective without a shadow of a doubt. The costumes were beautifully done with layer upon layer of detail in them to really add to the depth of the characters you were getting to know.

Another part of the show that did not disappoint was the artful puppetry on stage. The giant magical flea monster moving around the stage as if it were alive and something you could find in the dark edges of the New Forest to the gentle illuminated miniatures of Lettie and Boy as they swam through the Ocean. The show seamlessly crossed the cast and creatures over with effortless beauty.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a thrilling adventure of fantasy, mythical creatures and friendship if you are a fan of shows such as Stranger Things, Marvel or Harry Potter then this is a must see for you. I cannot applaud enough, all of the cast and behind the scenes hands for putting on such a masterful piece of theatre. I can stress enough how much you need to go and see this show.

Tickets started from £20.50 at the Mayflower website https://www.mayflower.org.uk/
Rating: I would give the show a 5/5 and can not recommend it enough. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is at the Mayflower from the 4th -8th July

Mayflower Theatre
Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1GE
Box Office: 02380 711811