Never Let Me Go – Rose Theatre

Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go has been adapted for the stage by Suzanne Heathcote. The story follows a group of clones raised at Hailsham, a boarding school where they learn about their purpose, born and bred to donate from their bodies. Here they make art, and they learn about their bodies and how to keep them healthy so that they can donate to the unknown people they are bred to serve. Although the specifics of the donation process remain shrouded in mystery, it’s clear that they are not expected to survive beyond their fourth donation. In the meantime, they take on roles as carers for those clones who have already started the donation journey.

At the centre of this story are Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy. Kathy harbours feelings for Tommy, but Ruth, despite knowing this, enters a relationship with him. Over time, Kathy’s affection for Tommy deepens, yet she continually supports their relationship, pushing down her own emotions.

Unfortunately, the core of this production struggles to capture the emotional depth and resonance of Ishiguro’s novel. While the love triangle is central to the story, it feels underdeveloped on stage, making it difficult for the audience to invest in the characters’ relationships. We are told a lot about the relationship, but we don’t see much of it appear other than some hints from Neil Barlow as Kathy H. We absolutely need to see more of this to allow us to build in the connection and the feelings that the novel succeeds at so brilliantly. It feels like the aloofness that the world treats the donors with permeates their interactions, resulting in a portrayal that feels more cold than compelling.

It’s a shame as otherwise Heathcote’s adaptation captures a lot of the essence of the book, managing to use the memory play format to rewind back to their days in Hailsham while showing us how the clones work through their lives, how society sees them and their inevitable final donations. As we are less invested in the characters and their lives and loves, it weakens the exploration of the morals and ethics of breeding these young, and clearly alive, clones to simply take from their bodies until they die. 

There is a stylistic choice to present the first line of each scene within the preceding scene which is intriguing, though it sometimes disrupts the flow. There can be awkward pauses for set changes, which detracts from the impact and leads to jarring shifts between quiet dialogue and louder exchanges. There is definite clarity in the direction as the story moves around time and locations, the successful use of multi-rolling for many of the cast and strong lighting work moves us through time and space.

As a highlight, Nell Barlow shines as Kathy H, delivering a powerful and nuanced performance. She sets a high standard from the get-go, working as a carer to a new donor and really making Kathy sing, it is a strong central performance and well recognised by the audience and her cast-mates at the end.

Reviewer: Dave Smith

Reviewed: 25th September 2024

North West End UK Rating: