The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Adapted by Joel Horwood from the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman, this spectacular and thrilling adventure directed by Katy Rudd, is a theatrical tour de force of imagination and storytelling. Returning to his childhood home, a man finds himself standing beside the pond of the old Sussex farmhouse where he used to play. He’s transported to his 12th birthday when his friend Lettie claimed it wasn’t a pond, but an ocean… Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them.

How long does The Ocean at the End of the Lane Last for?

Does The Ocean at the End of the Lane have any age restrictions? 7+

Does The Ocean at the End of the Lane have an interval? Yes

Seen by 11 fans

91.0

9.0

Wishlists

Avg. Rank

14th

Where is The Ocean at the End of the Lane playing?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane currently has no current or future productions scheduled
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What they loved

A very moving story, with truly spectacular staging
Unique and powerful. Stunning puppetry and staging
Ocean is... breathtaking. As is foreshadowed in the first few minutes, it is like a stage version of The Dark Crystal. An explosion of supernatural weirdness, eerie music, and baffling puppetry. It's also full of subtle magic. I mean that literally. Props appear in the blink of an eye, characters change without you noticing, the whole set comes alive. It is reminiscent of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child". Except it's actually good! Whereas Cursed Child threw all its tricks onto the stage to distract you from the huge running time (and cost!), Ocean uses stagecraft and magic to charm and mesmerise you. I found the first part of the first half to be a little... stilted. It felt very "stage-school drama". Histrionic teenagers, emotionally distant dads, significant pauses. It is all, thankfully, in service of a larger story. As it progresses, it gets stranger and stranger. The theatre comes alive. It is balletic without being a ballet. You could imagine it on a stage twice the size, with cast of hundreds, and pyrotechnics - but it is charmingly effective nestled in the Duke of Yorks theatre. It feels like every nook and cranny of the set and auditorium is put to good use. The cast are stunning. Grace Hogg-Robinson is the epitome of annoying sibling - like a commedia dell'arte stock character come to life. Laura Rogers is malevolence personified. As for Nia Towle - I can't believe this is her debut! She absolutely dominates the stage. The whole cast are superb - both in their acting and the way they interact with the set. The puppetry is genuinely astonishing.
the show is so powerful with the most insane cast
Very well acted, and some wonderful illusions! Fantasy and magic interlaced with 'reality' was very cleverly protrayed! Scene changes were very well choreographed!
Visually spectacular
Blew me away, I'd watch it again tomorrow
amazing cast and drama

Seen by 11 fans

91.0

9.0 Wishlists |

3 Avg. Rank

14th

What they didn't enjoy

I found the first part of the first half to be a little... stilted. It felt very "stage-school drama". Histrionic teenagers, emotionally distant dads, significant pauses. It is all, thankfully, in service of a larger story.
Nothing.
The story wasn’t all that interesting. While it was impressive I was not immersed in the characters at all