The Ocean at the End of the Lane is the bestselling magical novel from the brilliant imagination of Neil Gaiman. Join Gaiman as he chats to Lenny Henry about writing this modern myth, where his inspiration came from, and what it’s like to have his novel adapted for the stage.
Neil Gaiman is the author of over 30 books and graphic novels for adults and children, including American Gods, Stardust, Coraline and The Graveyard Book. The Ocean at the End of the Lane has won several awards, including being voted Book of the Year in the National Book Awards 2013. Neil Gaiman’s work has been adapted for film, television and radio. He has written scripts for Doctor Who, worked with authors and illustrators including Terry Pratchett, Dave McKean and Chris Riddell, and The Sandman is established as one of the classic graphic novels.
Tickets for this event are £15 (£10 for students and under-18s) and will be available via the National Theatre website. Public booking opens at 1pm on Tuesday 15 October.
Add a pre-signed copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane illustrated edition (Headline Publishing) to your order for the reduced price of £16 (RRP £20). Offer only available at time of ticket booking.
Further The Ocean at the End of the Lane Talks and Events include:
SIMON CALLOW ADAPTS LA CAGE AUX FOLLES [THE PLAY] FOR ITS ENGLISH LANGUAGE WORLD PREMIERE
PARK THEATRE PARTNERS WITH TALAWA THEATRE COMPANY ON A PLACE FOR WE
ANIME SPECIALISTS ADAPT THE GARDEN OF WORDS FOR THE STAGE
10TH ANNIVERSARY STAGE PRODUCTION OF TONY AND OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING PLAY CLYBOURNE PARK
TIME AND TIDE OPENS IN PARK90 AFTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PARK THEATRE’S SCRIPT ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME
2018 EDINBURGH FRINGE HIGHLIGHT SHACKLETON AND HIS STOWAWAY OPENS PARK90 SEASON
BURKAS AND BACON BUTTIES EXPLORES THE CLASHES, COMPROMISES AND COMEDY OF MIXED CULTURE FAMILIES
LONDON TRANSFER FOR THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED RAGS THE MUSICAL
Park Theatre today announced details for their inaugural season of 2020. Featuring an array of premieres and celebrated revivals, the new season places particular focus on stories surrounding race, faith and sexuality to reflect the theatre’s ever-diversifying community.
Artistic Director Jez Bond says: “Once more this season we’re bringing a wealth of new writing to the stage – in terms of both UK and world premieres, along with an exciting 10th anniversary revival. As a theatre that embraces its local community we are proud to be collaborating with a diverse range of artists to present a variety of plays which will engage and resonate with all Londoners.”
The London transfer of Hope Mill Theatre’s celebrated RAGS The Musical opens the new Park200 season, as the songwriters of Wicked & Annie and the book-writer of Fiddler on the Roof tell the powerful tale of a group of Jewish immigrants arriving to start new lives in America. Simon Callow’s translation of La Cage aux Folles [The Play] follows, as the French farce that inspired four blockbuster films and a Tony Award-winning musical makes its English language world premiere. Next is Bruce Norris’s Tony and Olivier Award-winning Clybourne Park: a powerfully sharp satire set over two different time periods, revived for the play’s 10th anniversary. Park Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company (the UK’s most successful Black theatre company) partner for A Place for We, telling an inter-generational story of London’s changing communities. The Garden of Words receives its world theatrical premiere to conclude the Park200 season, as the stereotype-defying Anime unites Japanese and British creatives through visual storytelling onstage.
Park90’s new season commences with Shackleton and his Stowaway: the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show based on the true story of an 18-year-old shipman who secretly boarded the ill-fated ship of Earnest Shackleton. Arising from Park Theatre’s Script Accelerator development programme, Time and Tide is an LGBTQ comic drama set within a Norfolk seaside community struggling with change. The black comedy farce Corpse! receives a revival, as an exceedingly poor actor decides to murder his excessively rich twin. The poignant new drama Never Not Once receives its UK premiere, as an American college student undergoes a search for her father against the wishes of her two mothers. Set in Britain, 1981, The Still Room is a coming of age story following a young hotel waitress whose perceptions of the world are challenged by a new colleague, as she plans to escape her hometown. Burkas and Bacon Butties closes the Park90 season, as co-writer Shamia Chalabi bases this story of a Muslim family caught between tradition and their new life in Wigan on her real-life experiences.
So It Goes modern take on Herman Melville’s classic novel is a triumph. Douglas Baker’s adaptation condenses the story into an action-packed 80 minutes that adds a 21st century worldview but still celebrates Melville’s prose and themes.
The use of projections, designed by director Douglas Baker, is sublime, creating a jokey, almost pantomime style backdrop for some scenes and then providing the claustrophobic tension of the best submarine movies. Beginning with old Ishmael confused with the corporate jargon nonsense in a coffee shop is an inspired and light-hearted way to voice the famous first line from the novel and makes clear the 21st century take on the story, and Baker boldly leaves the audience with a stunning but puzzling visual that doesn’t pay off until the final moments of the play.
A cast of four means that the story focuses on the main characters without side-tracked by other characters’ ruminations and premonitions, sharpening the focus and quickening the pace of the play. This also means that it is Ishmael who gets saved from a sticky ending inside a whale’s head, leading to a gag-inducing bonding moment with his rescuer, Queequeg. (The audience members around me may have just been groaning at the sperm jokes – but I have actually been covered in the body fluids of a rotting whale and the horrific stench came back to me during that scene, so thanks for that flashback.) The whaling boat scenes are hilariously and repetitively choreographed, pitting man against beast in a seemingly eternal battle to the strains of Europe’s The Final Countdown.
Old Ishmael (Rob Peacock) narrates the story as his younger self (Ben Howarth) joins the crew of the Pequod. Howarth’s naive and slightly drippy Ishmael is a joy to watch alongside Peacock’s older, damaged version of the character. The exasperated shouts as Young Ishmael corrects his older self’s Victorian use of the word fish don’t lose their appeal. Stephen Erhirhi’s Queequeg and Lucianne Regan’s Starbuck are impressive, and Charlie Tantum makes Ahab terrifying but pathetically comical with his ridiculous limp. Under some of the spotlights there’s a striking resemblance to Doctor Evil, but this doesn’t detract from the portrayal of a monomaniacal character who refuses to turn away from a disastrous course of action, and instead of making him appear strong, highlights his weaknesses and narcissism. The ease with which we can relate Ahab to modern politicians fits in perfectly with Alex Chard’s sea shanties attacking corporations, pollution and social media, and Baker’s sobering use of Melville’s theme that the joke is on us as we continue to destroy the planet. This is a masterclass in modernising and revitalising a classic – grab a ticket while you can.
Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall – until 14 October 2019
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
2**
Forced Entertainment love to challenge their audience, but Out of Order is more of an endurance test – for both audience and performers.
Six clowns in identical tartan suits enter the bare stage and sit around a conference table, Someone’s Gonna Cry strikes up, and one clown leaps up in anger and starts chasing another around the stage. The others block the assailant’s path and eventually calm them down and return to the table before someone else jumps up and launches themselves at another clown. The physical comedy is fantastic, but this goes on for a long time until the clowns distract themselves with balloons and horns, before this also turns into a battle.
The ridiculous lengths that the clowns go to in order to reach each other are very funny, and the physical commitment of the cast is incredible. The painted faces get more and more smeared and hair and suits become more and more dishevelled as the mysterious antagonism continues. Between the mayhem there are plenty of quiet moments of reflection and sometimes despair as the clowns gather their thoughts, and these are very effective. The clowns’ need to be part of a troupe results in mindless parades carrying chairs and tables around the stage, with a single clown reacting with exasperation at the nonsensical work, but still joining in.
The return to the initial chase around the table elicited a few groans, but the new soundtrack of the Blue Danube creates a less frantic, more gentle tone with some fantastic waltz and twirl gags.
There are some inspired moments and the performances are brilliant, but every section goes on for slightly too long. I loved the silliness and sadness of Out of Order, but this is a 45-minute show stretched to breaking point in its current 75 minutes running time.
StoryHouse Live, Chester – until Saturday 19 October 2019
Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
The year is 1886 and Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson publishes his novella dissecting the concept that the human psyche has a good and evil side, lapped up by the Victorians who were fascinated by the Gothic tales of macabre as a way of escaping the dark and dank times in which they lived. Fast forward over a hundred years and we find ourselves in a time where the term to have a Jekyll and Hyde personality has seeped its way into the English language. Countless reboots and reincarnations of Stevenson’s story exist and will continue to be rehashed and loved as much today as they were in 1886. It is safe to say that everyone knows and understands the ideal that the good doctor following on in all good scientists footsteps becomes tormented by the quintessentially evil monster within.
Storyhouse is a thoroughly modern theatre and for this performance they have used the thrust stage, which basically means the stage has been raised up to first floor level and the audience is sat surrounding the stage almost within touching distance. This brings the dark Victorian set closer, the audience has a feel as if we are witnessing an experiment within a medical theatre. The music is eerie yet compelling and this is before any action has begun. The lighting is darkly Victorian as are the costumes, from the older Lady Gabriel in her navy bustle dress to young Rose in her modern bright light travelling dress that has turquoise ribbon which enables her to raise the hem and, whoa, even show off her ankles. The good doctor has a snazzy golden waistcoat and as Mr Hyde often makes reference to his coat and boots after all a good coat and boots are everything a man about town would need. Yes there are only four characters and I can not praise the actors highly enough. Natasha Bain as the older Lady Gabriel, having lived life and long ago realised that experience means great thought into the consequences leads to her cutting ties with Dr Jekyll the dashing Edward Harrison, suave and sophisticated he enthrals those around with his theories of separating the soul of good and bad parts. Slow sinking into despair and anguish he looks dishevelled and quite likely sunken into the depths of madness, yet it is easy to mistake madness for greatness. His words and movements are compelling on stage. Mathew Flynn as Mr Hyde is a confusing character, you want to mistrust and even hate him as you know he is a monster but there’s a sense of fear about him perhaps even a vulnerability. Finally there is young dizzy Rose wonderfully portrayed by Rosa Hesmondhalgh, she hasn’t the clipped tones of London town but a west country accent that sings across the stage and breaks the monotony. She is the new generation, independent, curious and seeking answers. Wanting to see everything without fear for her own life despite being warned by the older characters.
What is interesting is that neither the story nor the setting has dated, as I’ve said it is compelling viewing. Amazingly if you view through modern eyes and think about those Victorian times, then the story makes perfect sense and how clever is this story written so long ago in a time when opium dens were rife and frequented by the masses, a time where Absinthe led to chasing the green fairy and Laudanum was freely used without thought for any consequences. Use what we now know about addiction and mental health and you will view the story as not a separation of the soul into good and evil but as the tormented parts of a soul. The good doctor is in fact the very evil Mr Hyde. We are left to conclude how Jekyll sunk to the depths of depravity or even if he survives, for it feels we have neither the beginning nor ending but the middle. This does not matter, it is an extremely entertaining yet darkly intriguing piece of theatre. Watching has highlighted Mental Health Week to me and would quite possibly be a great first step to any debates.
Mites is a dark comedy exploring the mind of a troubled and lonely woman, Ruth. We find her living in the large house she once shared with her husband. Who we learn was a womaniser and control freak who went out one day and never came back or did he?
As the condition of the house deteriorates, with an infestation of dust mites, so does Ruth’s mental stability. In a bid to regain her house, and hopefully her mind, she employ’s a young pest controller, Ken, who instantly evokes memories of her missing husband, Kenneth. Ken realises the vulnerability of Ruth’s mind and see’s an opportunity to gain more than his paid services. Enter Ruth’s cat, who resembles an older chap, he denigrates and criticises Ruth relentlessly. How can poor Ruth over come these two manipulative men, who very much have their own agenda or is this all in her mind while she languishes in her hospital room? With a twist of fate can Ruth come through triumphantly?
We meet a family of dust mites watching the comings and goings of poor Ruth’s life like a soap opera, while dealing with their own issues of every day living. An over bering husband, small whiny child and a wife who wants to fulfil her dreams before her life ends.
Congratulations to James Mannin for writing a very thought provoking piece, perhaps raising more questions of mental health and how some may try to take advantage of the sufferer.
Claire Marie Hall, Ruth, gave a magnificent performance of a down trodden women hoping for a better way. She had so much to say it could have been a monologue. She encapsulated the mannerisms of a women in turmoil, you wanted her to triumph over her two tormentors.
George Howard, Ken, portrayed a devious chancer, with great expressions and physical presence.
Richard Henderson, Bartholomew, well done, I left the theatre disliking your character immensely.
A production with themes of mental health, paranoia and manipulation doesn’t sound like a fun night out, but the humour seeps through. You sympathise with Ruth and hope she gets better while wishing only bad things on the men.
An extremely well acted, funny piece, that get’s you thinking. A must see
It was seeing Annie in the early 80’s that instilled in me a lifelong love of theatre, so I was very excited to be seeing the show at Sunderland Empire this week.
It’s 1933, America is in the midst of a depression and little orphan Annie (Kiana Dumbuya, Mia Lakha and Ava Smith sharing the role) lives with the other girls (Team Chrysler on press night) in the Hudson Street Orphanage, under the “care” of Miss Hannigan (Lesley Joseph). Desperate to find her parents (who left her with a note and a locket) Annie manages to escape and find a stray dog she names Sandy (played by Amber with a very waggy tail). Returned to the orphanage, she manages to be in the right place at the right time when Grace Farrell (Carolyn Maitland) arrives to take an orphan home to stay with billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Alex Bourne) to spend the Christmas holiday.
For such a little girl, Annie had a huge voice. During ‘Hard Knock Life’ with all the orphans, the live band seemed to drown out the voices but for Annie’s solo’s ‘Maybe’ and ‘Tomorrow’ she was clear and confident.
Lesley Joseph played Miss Hannigan to perfection. She used her body language and facial expressions exceptionally well and while being humorous, she imbued the character with a pathos which made it difficult to dislike her. The number ‘Little Girls’ was a stand-out and her interaction with Rooster (Richard Meek) and Lily St Regis (Jenny Gayner) gave us several comedic high points.
Carolyn Maitland played Grace Farrell in a sweet and loving way and with a fabulous singing voice. Alex Bourne was a quintessential Daddy Warbucks, seamlessly blending his tough and tender sides. He has a large stage presence and a great voice.
The set, costumes and lighting finish off the professionalism this production, with great use of projection and set changes to plunge us immediately into 1930’s New York. Nick Winston’s choreography is outstanding, big set pieces reminiscent of classic Broadway with tap dancing and lots of fabulous footwork
Touring the UK with 21 little girls and a dog must surely lead to its own set of both fun and problems so a massive shout out to the tutors and chaperones and dog handlers helping this show to be seamlessly magical.
Annie is an excellent family musical that leaves you full of hope and happiness for the future.
Sebastian Cater announced as new Head of UK Theatre
Sebastian Cater has been announced as the new Head of UK Theatre and Workforce Development. He will join the senior management team at UK Theatre and Society of London Theatre from mid-January 2020, taking over the role from Cassie Chadderton.
Sebastian has nearly 20 years’ experience in the commercial and subsidised cultural sector, with specialist skills in marketing, communications and business development strategy. As Director of Marketing and Sales at Sadler’s Wells he oversaw a large programme of change, including creating a new membership scheme, implementing an award-winning visual identity, managing the social media content creation and delivery, and devising a CRM strategy which increased customer retention.
Prior to this, Sebastian was Head of Marketing at media agency Target Live. Early in his career he worked for UK Theatre’s sister organisation Society of London Theatre, and has also been a Retail Manager and Trainer at The Body Shop. He is a Director of Dance Consortium, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an advocate for improving mental health and wellbeing in business.
Sebastian Cater said:
‘I am thrilled to be joining UK Theatre, an organisation that champions many issues I feel passionately about including leadership, diversity, advocacy, digital and workforce development. Although we are living in challenging times and there is much to be done, I am confident that by working together we can continue to strengthen and grow the sector for the future. I am really looking forward to working with UK Theatre members to make British theatre the very best it can be.’
Fiona Allan, President of UK Theatre, said:
‘We are delighted to have found an exceptional new Head of UK Theatre in Sebastian Cater. His previous experience crosses both the commercial and subsidised theatre sector, giving him a rounded perspective of our industry. His knowledge of marketing, digital strategy and business intelligence systems is coupled with a passion for workforce development and inclusion, very much in line with UK Theatre’s ongoing strategic priorities. I am looking forward to working closely with him over the coming years.’
They are joined by ensemble members Charlotte Bazeley, James Bennett, Myles Brown, Samara Casteallo, Belle Kizzy Green, Sally Jayne Hind, Stevie Hutchinson, Ediz Ibrahim, MollieMcGugan, Ella Nonini, Alexanda O’Reilly, Justin Thomas, Amy Thornton, Maxwell Trengove, Charlotte Wilmott and Luke Woollaston.
Dame Betty Barnum and her daughter Goldilocks’ circus is under threat from an evil rival circus owner and, with the help of their madcap circus friends, they’re battling to rescue their Big Top from ruin. Will they succeed? All seems lost, until three brilliant Bears join the gang… Roll up, roll up to see panto join the circus, and be swept away by a London Palladium spectacular that’s just right, at the home of pantomime!
Returning for the fourth year and once again produced by the Olivier award-winning team and directed by Michael Harrison, choreography will be by Karen Bruce, set design will be by Ian Westbrook, with a returning team of costume designers including Hugh Durrant, visual special effects by The Twins FX, lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Gareth Owen and original music by Gary Hind.
Janine Duvitski was in the original production of Abigail’s Party, written and directed by Mike Leigh. Her more recent stage credits include On the Town for English National Opera at the London Coliseum and The Coast of Utopia for the National Theatre. She is best known on television as Jane in Waiting for God, Pippa in One Footin the Grave and Jacqueline in Benidorm a role she recently revived on stage in Benidorm Live also produced by Michael Harrison. Her film credits include About a Boy and TheMadness of King George.
Sophie Isaacs was most recently seen on stage playing Annette Hargrove in Cruel Intentions the Musical which had its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. Her previous theatre credits include playing the title role opposite Craig Revel Horwood in the Qdos Entertainment production of Cinderella at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, Heather McNamara in Heathers at The Other Palace as well as it’s transfer to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Kinky Boots and Made in Dagenham both at the Adelphi Theatre, Grease at Leicester Curve Theatre and the European tour of The Rocky Horror Show.
Lauren Stroud was last seen on stage in the West End production of Strictly Ballroom at the Piccadilly Theatre. Her previous theatre credits include Scrooge at Leicester Curve Theatre, Top Hat at Kilworth House, Strictly Ballroom at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and on tour in Toronto, Hairspray, Dance ‘til Dawn, 9 to 5 The Musical and Grease all on tour in the UK and Wicked at the Apollo Victoria.
Best known as host of BBC Radio 2’s The Paul O’Grady Show and for helping rescue dogs in For the Love of Dogs – not to mention his acid-tongued creation Lily Savage – Paul O’Grady is returning to the London Palladium following his performance as The Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella, which reintroduced pantomime to the iconic venue in 2016.
Julian Clary returns to the London Palladium for the fourth year having previously played The Man in the Mirror in last year’s Snow White at the London Palladium, The Spirit of the Bells in Dick Whittington and Dandini in Cinderella.
Matt Baker, who will make his Palladium Panto debut is best known on television as a presenter of The One Show and Countryfile on BBC1. Previously he presented Blue Peter and was a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing. He has been seen on stage as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin has previously appeared at the London Palladium as Muddles in last year’s Snow White at the London Palladium, Idle Jack in Dick Whittington and as Buttons in Cinderella.
Nigel Havers played The Understudy in the 2019 production of Snow White at the London Palladium, Captain Nigel in Dick Whittington and Lord Chamberlain in Cinderella, all at the London Palladium.
Gary Wilmot’s played Mrs Crumble in last year’s Palladium pantomime Snow White at the London Palladium and was also seem in the previous year’s Dick Whittington.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears is produced by Nick Thomas and Michael Harrison for Qdos Entertainment.
Nick Thomas is the founder and Chairman of Qdos Entertainment Group, one of the largest entertainment companies in Europe and is the UK’s second largest regional theatre and concert hall operator. Earlie this year Thomas was awarded an MBE for Services to the Entertainment Industry and to Charity.
MichaelHarrison has previously produced over 100 pantomimes for Qdos Entertainment where he is also Managing Director. As a producer in the West End his credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium, Gypsy, The Bodyguard, Annie and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein.
As the world’s biggest pantomime producer, over the past 37 years Qdos Entertainment has established itself as one of the largest entertainment companies in Europe. Over the past three decades the pantomime giant has staged 719 pantomimes.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Theatre: London Palladium, Argyll St, London W1F 7TF
Dates: 7 December 2019 – 12 January 2020
Gala night: 11 December 2019 at 7.30pm
Box Office: 020 7087 7747 (no booking fee)
Performances: see website for performance schedule
