The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Liverpool Empire

A celebration of the worlds possible to create onstage. Katy Rudd and Joel Horwood, along with their creative teams have transformed Neil Gaiman’s story into a masterclass of theatre making.

The attention to detail and appreciation for the magical realism of the world in and around the Hempstock’s farm, did not go unnoticed. The slick choreography and complicated set changes proved part of the magic and kept the audience gasping and giggling at just how they did it.

Standout aspects were Ian Dickinson’s sound design and Samuel Wyer’s puppets. With delicate power, these aspects of the performance brought more life and atmosphere to the stage than any other. A perfect accompaniment to the actor’s performances, that kept us believing in the world onstage and forgetting about the one outside.

Some individual performances to commend are Keir Ogilvy as ‘Boy’ and Finty Williams as ‘Old Mrs Hempstock’. Both actors handled their roles with real charm and spontaneity that played up to the standard of the grand scale of the Empire auditorium. Also, I’d like to mention Charlie Brooks as ‘Ursula’, which is an incredibly demanding role to juggle with the illusions and difficult choreography, and one that Charlie handled with vigour and personality.

This production has something for everyone. A story with mystery in the mundane that will make you see magic everywhere, and a stunning performance that brings with it the world standard craft of the National Theatre. You don’t have to have read the book to enjoy this story, I didn’t, and I still understood it as well as being equally immersed and impressed.

If you’re interested in seeing this, it is performing at Liverpool Empire until 6th May 2023 available here: https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire/

Thereafter, it tours to Sheffield and further afield which you can find here: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane/

Reviewer: Hannah Esnouf

Reviewed: 2nd May 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★