Hex - NT

[ladidah]

RE the storytelling - is it like a dark fairytale or something totally new?

[jgblunners]

I was also there last night - I didn't think it was completely abysmal, but it does have a lot of problems. Firstly though, the one really good thing about the show - the cast are uniformly excellent. Rosalie Craig and Tamsin Carroll in particular do a lot of the heavy lifting with the material and work very very hard to pull it all together. Vocally everyone sounds fantastic. A special mention to Daisy Maywood who steals scenes in her two supporting roles. Kat Ronney needs to get one of Cam Mac's team in to see the show because she'd be a shoo-in for Eponine.

Regarding the show itself: I wonder if it started life as an idea for a family show, because the moments when it works quite well are any time where it is simply trying to be fun and silly. Most of the big comedic numbers are very entertaining and there is a fair amount of irreverent (at times childish) fun in the show which you can't help but smile and laugh along with. If they cut it down, it could be a nice 90-minute musical version of Sleeping Beauty for all the family. Unfortunately somewhere along the line the writers decided to be a bit more ambitious, and failed abysmally.

All the additional material (i.e. anything not in the traditional Disney-esque plot of Sleeping Beauty) feels unnaturally shoehorned in - none of the plot points involving the Ogress arise out of the circumstances within the story, they are all manufactured. Most of these additions are attempting to add a darker or more mature undertone to the story, but the writers lack the skill to successfully weave these themes into the fairytale plot (compare with Into The Woods which does this very successfully). The book and lyrics in these extraneous scenes are not good at all, and while the music is at times quite promising I think that the composer needs a lesson in how to structure songs for musicals. In many cases the songs do not have a satisfying musical journey, and this is mirrored in the lyrics lacking any dramatic journey. If the show is to fulfil its potential in this version, it will need some major re-writes and probably a lot of advice from more seasoned writers of musicals. Somehow I doubt that will happen.

In summary: not a complete disaster, but the fun moments and the quality of the performances can't make up for the poor writing. 2 stars.

[sprampster]

So I have seen a lot of “flop” musicals over the years ! And I n talking “Bernadette” “man in the iron mask” and “out of the blue” and it s safe to say “Hex” is not any where close in terms of problems .

Ignore the naysayers and make up your own mind . I was entertained from start to finish. It looks beautiful and sounds great. Hard working cast and was great to see a big scale show back on the Olivier stage. This is in no way the “unmitigated disaster” people are saying it is. Each to their own and all that but honestly it’s def worth watch !! Yep it’s a bit bonkers at times! So what !!

Btw fairy has had a makeover and is no longer bald !!!

[mattnyc]

I will agree with you that it doesn’t come close to those shows in terms of problems. It far exceeds them.

[Someone in a tree]

On the positives the set is good and one of the few shows in the last decade or so that fills the space.

Cast and costumes are all great. How people can turn in a good performance in this is dud is a miracle. The score and lyrics are terrible, evertime a song started a little piece of me died. The lyrics are dull and pedestrian. Songs do not advance the plot. It would be better as a play but RN did that previously at the YV and RSC, it's important to know when to stop.

[thistimetomorrow]

I saw this the other day and didn't hate it as much as I was expecting to given the reviews I read on here. I actually really liked the set and costumes and I thought the cast were all great, but the only thing I could say when people asked me whether I liked the show was that it was just weird.

[stevemar]

Saw the penultimate performance (Saturday matinee). Echoing many of the comments here - lighting, set, singing all very good. Storyline confused, movement also, and the songs poor.

There was some hope at the beginning of a few songs, before they went off on a diversion, got lost and the same words just repeated themselves, before ending abruptly or just fading. And so it went on… Potentially “I am what I am”, Hello” and “Sixteen” could be turned into decent songs. The thorns and “Bish Bash Bosh” scene a complete waste of time.

Partially saved by the hard working and talented cast - particularly all four leads, I’ll be generous and say 3 stars.

The NT just hasn’t managed to create a good musical - having seen The Light Princess, Wonder.land and Pinocchio (at least that had the hummable tunes from Disney), the same thing happens. Considerable resources directed at the production which is generally high standard but the music and storyline get lost in throwaway songs and an attempt to create a “dark” family show. I don’t think they should give up, but maybe just go full on family show if they wish to be “commercial” or create a normal musical. 

I can’t see Hex coming back unless Norris has the commitment to bring in a new director, writer, composer and lyricist for a complete re-write. Back to the start. If he proceeds with the show, I suspect he won’t have the self awareness to do this. This is separate of course from the whole narcissism discussion as artistic director.

[ThereWillBeSun]

stevemar .... I forgot the scene about the thorns.

added nothing.

[youngoffender]

In an interview with today's Times, Rufus Norris maintains that this will return at Christmas. COVID is squarely blamed for the artistic problems of the first run: "Without a full cast at his disposal Norris felt he couldn’t complete the 'one third' of the creative process that happens once it hits the stage." However, many of the comments here point to poor songs (music and lyrics), which is a rather fundamental challenge for a musical, and these were surely not intended to evolve once the show got into previews. Were the cast expected to extemporise some better tunes? Was he waiting to hear the lyrics out loud in order for their full horror to be revealed?

He goes on to concede that he will spend some of the year on 'rewrites'.

[oxfordsimon]

Surely he should spend his time running the National....

He can pretend to be a writer once he leaves his current job

[ladidah]

Why do people not stick to their strengths/job descriptions

[fiyerorocher]

When oh when will they take take down the tube posters for this (which all say 'must end 22 January'). I just want to be allowed to forget the horrors. The terrible lyrics that didn't scan, the ridiculous baby costume, those god awful blonde wigs...

[imstillhere]

I wish someone loves me as much as NT loves Hex.

[zahidf]

Hex is back at the national 26th Nov- 14th Jan

[oxfordsimon]

I wonder if there is enough humility in the creative team to engage in rewrites and changes in the light of the reaction to their first attempts

[fiyerorocher]

My sympathies to all future audiences.

[42ndBlvd]

May 10, 2022 11:16:58 GMT zahidf said:

Hex is back at the national 26th Nov- 14th Jan

What are they thinking??

[oxfordsimon]

They are thinking of themselves and how they can boost their own egos and bank balances.

In any other industry this would be seen as unacceptable possibly even corrupt.

[ThereWillBeSun]

Baffled. They have a real shot at recouping money especially throughout the festive season...and they bring Hex back?

No words.

[alece10]

Well I'm pleased as our performance last year was cancelled and so can rebook for this Christmas. Just hope the prices haven't gone up. I'm presuming we should be able to get the same seats for the same price.

[partytentdown]

The definition of madness is infamously doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.

[mattnyc]

Y’know, I was just saying how I think more shows should feature babies being eaten.

[inthenose]

May 10, 2022 17:28:10 GMT mattnyc said:

Y’know, I was just saying how I think more shows should feature babies being eaten.

And the award for my favourite out of context message in a public forum goes to...

[andrew]

I'm appalled by this. Support new musical theatre, put energy behind a new production instead of resurrecting something that just didn't work.

[caa]

It will be interesting to see what reviews are like. In my opinion, its probably the worst show I have ever seen at the National and I have sat through some stinkers!