Fresh from the pages of Neil Gaiman’s novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane’s fantastical story is heading around the U.K. telling its magical tale. In a theatre overlooking the ocean that is the Thames Estuary, I caught this production on opening night at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea, ready for the unexpected.
Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane tells the story of a man returning to his childhood home where he used to play by a duck pond. Transported back to his 12th birthday, we follow his journey with the Lettie, the youngest member of the unusual Hempstock family, who claims that the pond is actually an ocean with magical possibilities. The boy and Lettie’s bond is tested when dark forces seek to exploit this strange place, where much more than themselves are at stake.
My main takeaway from this show is that it’s strange. There is a lot within this story, particularly at the very beginning and end that is confusing and isn’t explained very well, with many things having to just be accepted, rather than explained properly. When the interval began, many people around me had similar comments of feeling quite lost and confused, but I think this is more the original subject matter than the show itself. I have never read Gaiman’s novel, but I wonder whether having read it before the show would have left me less confused and more able to engage with the plot.
Where this production really excels however is in its puppetry and special effects. The range of puppetry skills from larger-than-life monster puppets to the more traditional hand puppetry is brilliantly choreographed and designed, in such a wondrous manner that I was yearning for more puppets the entire time (particular credit to the puppet designer and puppetry director Samuel Wyer and Finn Caldwell, respectively). The range of special effects are done so well, with many gasps & wide-eye moments throughout. The creative teams definitely know how to fill their space effectively and engagingly.
The main standout performance was Millie Hikasa as Lettie. For a performer with relatively few credits, she carries this role perfectly. She has all the authority and strength of an older, wiser character but still has the spark and joy of a child that gives her character such an energy over the entire space. The excitement she breathes into her role and the rest of the cast on stage is great to see, and I hope she continues in similar roles when this show has closed – she’s a brilliant upcoming talent.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a visual masterpiece that showcases the wonderful skills that live in live theatre, but the story it tells feels unclear and is confusing for a good proportion of the people who go to see it. Whether this is helped by reading Gaiman’s book beforehand is unclear, but it’s obvious that the story is the only element holding back this amazing cast and backstage team.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The Ocean at the End of the Lane tours until October 7th before opening at the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End on October 11th
