On the 26th of October, I went to see ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ at the Noël Coward theatre in London as part of my Drama for Learning 3 module. All the participants in our workshop have seen this play, so it was important that at least some members of our group see it before we put together our plan. The design of the set, costume, props and puppetry were of an incredible standard, and the emotional performance of the young actors is the best I’ve seen. I was absolutely blown away by the seamless mix of the real world and magical elements, both horror and otherwise. The subtle magic held by the ensemble, who acted as a stage crew; part of the set; and a wonderful device to move the story from one place to another, as well as operating the puppets was incredibly impressive.
Neil Gaiman’s story, as adapted for the stage by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd, is one of childhood, loss of innocence, grief, and many other themes that unify an audience across all demographics. The narrative touched the hearts of every person watching, as we watched a snapshot of the life of a nameless child, one anyone can project their own life onto, go on the kind of magical adventure we all once hoped to be taken on.
Other reviews of this play!
Tee Wilson-Radcliffe 