Ocean At The End Of The Lane - NT/Duke of York’s/Tour/Noel C

[og]

For anyone who saw this at both the NT and Duke of York, how did this translate from Thrust to standard Prosc stage?
Being in on the action, at the NT with elements almost surrounding you at times, I feel may have lost its impact on a standard stage setting.
Regardless, hoping to get to this at Lowry.

[og]

Full routing Schedule

The Lowry, Salford
12 December 2022 – 7 January 2023
Public On Sale 12 May: thelowry.com

New Victoria Theatre, Woking
24 – 28 January
Public On Sale 20 May

Leicester Curve
31 January – 11 February
On Sale Information Coming Soon

Theatre Royal Plymouth
14 – 25 February
Public On Sale 24 June

Sunderland Empire
28 February – 4 March
Public On Sale 20 May

Theatre Royal Bath
7 – 18 March
On Sale Information Coming Soon

Grand Opera House, Belfast
21 – 25 March
Tickets Now on Sale: goh.co.uk

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
28 March – 1 April
On Sale Information Coming Soon

The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
4 – 8 April
Public On Sale 23 May

New Wimbledon Theatre
11 – 15 April
Public On Sale 20 May

Edinburgh Festival Theatre
18 – 22 April
On Sale Information Coming Soon

Liverpool Empire
2 – 6 May
Public On Sale 20 May

Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
Public On Sale 2 July
9 – 20 May

The Alexandra, Birmingham
23 – 27 May
Public On Sale 20 May

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
30 May – 3 June
Public On Sale 10 June

Nottingham Theatre Royal
6 – 17 June
Public On Sale 19 May

New Theatre Oxford
20 – 24 June
Public On Sale 20 May

Milton Keynes Theatre
27 June – 1 July
Public On Sale 20 May

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
4 – 8 July
Public On Sale 13 May

Newcastle Theatre Royal
11 – 22 July
Public On Sale 7 July

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
25 – 29 July
On Sale Information Coming Soon

Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
8 – 12 August
On Sale Information Coming Soon

Bristol Hippodrome
15 – 19 August
Public On Sale 20 May

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
22 Aug – 26 Aug
On Sale Information Coming Soon

King’s Theatre, Glasgow
29 Aug – 2 Sept
Public On Sale 20 May

Norwich Theatre Royal
5 – 9 September
On Sale Information Coming Soon

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
12 – 16 September
On Sale Information Coming Soon

Hall for Cornwall, Truro
19 – 23 September
Public On Sale 15 August

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
26 – 30 September
Tickets Now On Sale: grandtheatre.co.uk/

[Jon]

I'm surprised it's going to Wimbledon and not Richmond.

[oxfordsimon]

New Theatre Oxford is a right barn of a space. Hopefully it won't feel swamped in there

[vickster51]

May 10, 2022 16:13:18 GMT og said:

For anyone who saw this at both the NT and Duke of York, how did this translate from Thrust to standard Prosc stage?
Being in on the action, at the NT with elements almost surrounding you at times, I feel may have lost its impact on a standard stage setting.
Regardless, hoping to get to this at Lowry.

I was side seats in the second or third tier at the dorfman and row B of dress circle in the west end on Saturday. I still really enjoyed it and the emotional power of certain moments and themes still came across, but I felt more drawn in when I was closer at the NT (and I say that as someone who doesn’t love the dorfman). I think I also preferred the original cast. It was still wonderful though.

[BurlyBeaR]

Saw this at the Lowry last night. I’m all for special effects, lighting and stage trickery and this is highly theatrical but I don’t think it lived up to the considerable hype that’s been going around.
I just found it all a bit… panto? Not necessarily the story or the staging but the way the actors bellowed every line as if they were performing it to a roomfull of kids and REALLY NEEDED TO GET THE POINT OVER!!!!. And some of the dialogue of the 12 year old boy was just preposterous for a kid of that age even by modern standards. I wasn’t buying the actor who played Dad who read way to old for the part - more like Grandad- and had a very strong regional accent at odds with the rest of his family. I know that’s not unusual in real life but he didn’t manage to drop it when it became necessary in the final scenes. Finty Williams was good as the granny and I enjoyed the humour between the three witches, or whatever those beings were. I guess the real stars are the performers who made all of the effects “happen” around the main cast. The complexity of that with every intricate movement choreographed down to the last detail was impressive. I’m fed up of puppets made out of rags though.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

[shady23]

I saw the matinee at Sunderland Empire today and knew nothing about the show/book beforehand.

I really liked it. The staging was really clever and I found myself on the theatre website at the interval looking for a ticket for the rest of the week. Worth it for that door scene alone!

I am not sure the second act quite matched the "wow factor" of the first but still a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and great to watch something that is different.

I didn't realise Charlie Brooks (Janine Butcher from Eastenders) was in this. I thought she was really good, as were the whole cast.

[capybara]

Really enjoyed this in Wimbledon today. As above, I hadn’t realised Charlie Brooks was in this either and thought she was fab.

It’s not my typical fare but was very impressed with the staging. The sound and lighting was great.

Four stars.

[craig]

Took my niece to see this in Wimbledon at the weekend, after really enjoying it at the Duke Of York's. Definitely a hit and the touring cast is very good. I just think this is a really magical show that is visually quite stunning.

We're taking friends to see it in Milton Keynes on the tour too. Seeing it 3 times might be slight overkill, and yet I walked away from the theatre on Saturday night quite happy to see it again.

[nicolaa]

Saw last week - not my cup of tea. Never been into all that fantasy gubbins - probably should have looked into what the show was actually about

Visually its very impressive with "monsters" appearing out of the dark and rolls of what looked like clingfilm being used for dramatic effect. Loved the illusion that gets Ursula onto the chair but its all too obvious at times that there are doubles in play from the back as they look nothing like the actor in the role.

I don't think the performances help, at least one of the "child" actors is so bad that it pulled me out of the story. They come on at 11 and there is nowhere for them to go later on in the show when the dramatic stakes increase and so it all comes across as exceptionally one note with no sense of the dread etc that they are feeling. As BB mentioned in December - the Dad is all "wye aye man, canny bag of Tudor, Kevin Keegan, Spender, pet" which is amusing when his 2 kids sound like they've just come home from the Italia Conti.

There also seems to be a pacing issue for me, the first half draaaaaaaags for vast swathes of the run time and yet the second half is helter skelter from the off. Could have done with some juggling of scenes to increase the pace.

I was a bit baffled by one part near the end - Urusla and the bed are disintegrating so if the kids had done nothing would she have eventually gone away? I took it as the Boy being at the farm and not the house was weakening her powers but it didn't seem clear.

I'd go 2.5 stars out of 5

[og]

Recently caught this in what I would say was very good shape. It took a little while to bed in (with lots of fidgety schools about) but once the pace was set it captured and maintained the undivided attention of everyone in the house.
I think it translates very well from the thrust presentation and for once had not become victim of any real reduction to tour. It's so good to see a production not watered down or reduced on the road (producers take note).
Whilst theatre-going regular may see through a few of the effects, there were crowds of people taken by some of the magical staging - including the scene where Ursula reappears provoking a really impressive reaction from a horde of school kids sat near buy (one of which kept whispering to his mate about his bafflement of how she keeps reappearing).

I really enjoyed this for a repeat visit and will definitely visit again later in the year before it wraps up.

On that note, Im hearing another visit to London may be on the cards for this production.

[zahidf]

Back at Duke of York's 11 October to 25 November 2023

[Rory]

Neil Gaiman is saying it's the Noel Coward. The Whats On Stage article unhelpfully doesn't say which theatre.
I thought The Motive and the Cue was going to the Noel Coward. Will be disappointed if that's not happening.

[Mark]

I guess the assumption was made due to the article mentioning St. Martins Lane and the previous run at DOY.

[theatrenerd]

Saw this a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham and really enjoyed it! Very clever staging and some great performances too.

[theatrelover97]

I would book for this but I can't go alone and I already have a few shows booked and I am not able to find someone to go with for many more.

[Jon]

It's a seven week run which makes me wonder going in after it finishes. I'm guessing the Noel Coward is being refurbished between Patriots closing and this opening.

[thistimetomorrow]

Assuming the tour cast are continuing into the London run?

[Rory]

Jun 6, 2023 23:19:16 GMT thistimetomorrow said:

Assuming the tour cast are continuing into the London run?

Yes I think all of them.

[craig]

Lovely to see this doing well enough to return to the West End for a short run.

[christya]

Saw this a couple of days ago and honestly not sure about it. Overall I enjoyed it, but there were a couple of real clunker performances. The lady playing Lettie (didn't get a programme, sorry) was just over the top the whole way through, but the man playing the Dad (and older version of the boy) was terrible to the point of being embarrassingly amateur, the minute he tried to lose the Geordie accent. The accent was also out of place even when he was playing the Dad - horrible miscasting there unfortunately.

It was visually very impressive, and the 'flea' monster genuinely horrifying, but overall I found myself thinking this would do better as a film, and I felt as though the ending just petered out without any energy. The ensemble are absolutely the standout of this one.

[BurlyBeaR]

Back in town at the Noel Coward this time. Soon to rival 2:22 for venues!

[Mark]

Oct 15, 2023 7:05:14 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Back in town at the Noel Coward this time. Soon to rival 2:22 for venues!

Even Curious Incident has played more West send venues than this!

[dannimaria]

2 stalls tickets for this Saturday's matinee available on the noticeboard.

Thank you Admin :-)

[andrewwright72]

I thought this play was absolutely brilliant. I was left slack jawed by the effects they created on stage and the story was so beautifully crafted. Such a genuine pleasure and on the day tickets were super reasonable. I hope it comes back!