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The Ocean at the End of the Lane on tour

based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, adapted by Joel Horwood

Booking and details

Age guidance: 12+ yrs.

In the West End from 11 October – 25 November

From the imagination of Neil Gaiman, best-selling author of Coraline , Good Omens and The Sandman , comes the National Theatre’s major new stage adaptation of The Ocean at the End of the Lane .

This thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship, is a five-star spectacular which blends magic with memory in a tour-de-force of storytelling that takes audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it.

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 remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn’t a pond, but an ocean – a place where everything is possible…

Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them.

Tour venues

‘Spellbinding. Theatre at its best.’

Daily Telegraph

‘There’s nothing around to beat this thrillingly imaginative show.’

Mail on Sunday

‘Theatrical magic. A mesmerising adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s hit novel.’

Sunday Times

‘Shows like this don’t come around very often.’

‘This knockout production is theatre at its best.’

Independent

‘Astonishing. An extraordinary piece of theatre.’

Lancashire Telegraph

‘It will seriously blow your mind.’

Manchester Evening News

Suitability

This production contains the following effects; high intensity lighting and strobe, haze and smoke, pyrotechnics, loud sound, and blackouts. The production contains moments that some people may find frightening, including references to death. For more information, read our Content warning pdf  or contact your local theatre.

Theatre Nation Partnerships is generously supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Fund and Garfield Weston Foundation.

Find out more about supporting our work

Domonic Ramsden, Keir Oglivy, Aimee McGolderick and Millie Hikasa. Photo by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg.

Charlie Brooks and Keir Ogilvy. Photo by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg.

Finty Williams and Kemi-Bo Jacobs. Photo by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg.

Finty Williams and Millie Hikasa. Photo by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

Laurie Ogden, Charlie Brooks and Trevor Fox. Photo by Pamela Raith

Finty Williams and Trevor Fox. Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.

Keir Ogilvy, Finty Williams and Millie Hikasa. Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.

Keir Ogilvy and Millie Hikasa. Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.

Keir Ogilvy, Millie Hikasa and Kemi-Bo Jacobs. Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.

Millie Hikasa and Keir Ogilvy. Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.

Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Watch the trailer

Meet the cast, the cast describe the plot in 15 seconds, education resource.

This learning resource is designed to support students and their teachers in responding to The Ocean at the End of Lane in various ways. The pack includes opportunities to engage with the production for the live production element of GCSE and/or A Level Drama & Theatre. This learning resource also provides information about the production, and ways in which it can inform and inspire devised or scripted work in schools and colleges.

Download the education pack

Charlie Brooks

Ursula / Skarthach

Charlie Brooks trained at Arts Educational Schools.

Daniel Cornish

Boy (Alternate)

Daniel Cornish trained at Guildford School of Acting.

Trevor Fox trained at Rose Bruford.

Emma-Jane Goodwin

Understudy and Ensemble

Emma-Jane Goodwin tained at East 15 Acting School

Paolo Guidi

Paolo Guidi is an actor based in London.

Millie Hikasa

Lettie Hempstock

Millie Hikasa trained at Arts Educational schools where productions included  Another F***ing Play About Race ,  In the Red and Brown Water  and  Macbeth .

Lewis Howard

Lewis Howard trained at Birmingham School of Acting (now Birmingham Conservatoire).

Kemi-Bo Jacobs

Ginnie Hempstock

Kemi-Bo Jacobs was awarded the RSC’s British Bursary Award in 2014.

Jasmeen James

Jasmeen James performaned in Macbeth  and  A Christmas Carol  for the Globe Players;

Ensemble / Lodger

Ronnie Lee trained at Laine Theatre Arts graduating in July 2018, where productions included  Just So  and  The Laramie Project .

Aimee McGoldrick

Aimee McGoldrick is a recent graduate of Mountview Academy.

Laurie Ogden

Sis / Ensemble

Laurie Ogden is a graduate of National Youth Theatre Rep company 2018/19, where her productions included  To Kill a Mockingbird  at Lyric Hammersmith;  Victoria’s Knickers  and  Consensual  at Soho Theatre; and  Macbeth  at the Garrick.

Keir Ogilvy

Keir Ogilvy trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Domonic Ramsden

Domonic Ramsden graduated from Arts Educational Schools, London.

Joe Rawlinson-Hunt

Joe Rawlinson-Hunt trained on the W1 Workshops Advanced Process and Performance course, where his productions included  Radiant Vermin .

Risha Silvera

Risha Silvera trained with Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company.

Finty Williams

Old Mrs Hempstock

At the National Theatre in  Twelfth Night

Production Team

Neil gaiman.

Neil Gaiman is a storyteller.

Joel Horwood

Joel is a playwright and dramaturg.

Katy Rudd was The Baylis Director at the Old Vic 2019–21.

Set Designer

Fly Davis is an award-winning set and costume designer for the stage.

Costume and Puppet Designer

Samuel Wyer

Samuel Wyer is a scenographer, puppet designer and artist.

Movement Director

Steven Hoggett

For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), The Ocean at the End of the Lane ,  The Light Princess  and  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time  (also West End and Broadway)

Jherek Bischoff

Jherek Bischoff is a composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumental performer.

Lighting Designer

Paule Constable

Recent National Theatre includes: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Till the Stars Come Down , The Confessions , Dixon and Daughters , The Normal Heart , The Visit, or The Old Lady Comes to Call  and The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Sound Designer

Ian Dickinson for Autograph

Ian Dickinson is an award-winning sound designer and with extensive credits in the UK and internationally.

Magic and Illusions Director and Designer

Jamie Harrison

Jamie Harrison (he/him) trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is co-artistic director of Vox Motus.

Finn Caldwell

Finn Caldwell is a director, designer, and performer; he is co-artistic director of Gyre & Gimble, a theatre company specialising in puppetry.

Casting Director

Naomi Downham

For the National Theatre, as casting director: Underdog: The Other Other Brontë (also Northern Stage), The House of Bernarda Alba , The Crucible  (also West End),  The Ocean at the End of the Lane  (UK tour),  Hamlet  (school tour) and  Jekyll & Hyde  (school tour)

Associate Director

Sophie Dillon Moniram

Sophie Moniram is a graduate from Mountview Academy’s Theatre Directing MA and has participated in the National Theatre Studio’s Directing Course.

Associate Set Designer and Draftsperson

Tim Blazdell

Tim Blazdell is a video designer, set designer and design associate

Associate Movement Director

Jess Williams

For the National Theatre: Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre); as associate director or associate movement director,  The Ocean at the End of the Lane ,  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time  and  Beginning  (also for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); as movement director, The Boy with Two Hearts

Lighting Associate

Rob Casey for Ammonite

Rob Casey is the co-founder of Ammonite, a company specialising in the technical development and support of a diverse range of live entertainment.

Lighting Associate and LX Programmer

Sound Associate

Christopher Reid

Christopher Reid is an award-winning Sound Designer based in London.

Magic and Illusions Associate

John Bulleid

John Bulleid is an illusion designer, actor and magician. He holds the title of Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star, and trained as an actor at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

Associate Puppetry Director

Gareth Aled

Gareth Aled trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

Voice and Dialect Coach

Kate Godfrey

Having worked as an actor for ten years, Kate Godfrey trained as a voice coach at The Central School of Speech and Drama from 1995-6. She has worked at Mountview Theatre School, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the National Theatre and the RSC.

Resident Director

Eleri B. Jones

Eleri B. Jones is a theatre and film director, originally from North Wales.

Flying Effects

John Maddox for Suspended Illusions Ltd.

John Maddox founded Suspended Illusions Ltd after a decade of touring the world with theatre shows and circuses.

Assisted Performances

We’re committed to making our productions accessible to all. The following Assisted performances are scheduled across the tour of The Ocean at the End of the Lane :

• Audio Described Performances
• Touch Tours
• Signed Performances
• Captioned Performances
• Relaxed Performances

For further details about each venue and dates and timings for each type of assisted performance, please visit your nearest venue website.

Illustration by Nicolas Delort Photos of UK & Ireland Tour cast by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

THE LONDON SEASON HAS NOW CLOSED

NOËL COWARD THEATRE

From the imagination of Neil Gaiman, best-selling author of Coraline, Good Omens and The Sandman (now a major Netflix series), comes the National Theatre’s major new stage adaptation of The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

This five-star spectacular from the producers of  War Horse  and  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time  is a thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship, taking audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it. 

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 remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn't a pond, but an ocean–a place where everything is possible...

Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them. 

watch the trailer

Age guidance: 12+ yrs. This production contains the following physical effects; high intensity lighting and strobe, haze and smoke, pyrotechnics, loud sound, and blackouts. The production contains moments that some people may find frightening, including references to death. We always recommend individual discretion alongside the age guidance. For more information, click here .

Creative Team

Neil gaiman.

Neil Gaiman is a storyteller. He is the No.1  Sunday Times  and  New York Times  bestselling writer of more than 45 books, graphic novels, and short stories, as well as the creator of films and television for all ages. Many of Neil Gaiman’s books, including  Stardust  and  Coraline , have been made into films or theatre productions;  Neverwhere  has been adapted for TV and radio;  American Gods  is an Emmy-nominated television series and the National Theatre production of  The Ocean at the End of the Lane ( UK National Book Awards 2013 Book of the Year) transferred to the West End in 2021 for a successful run, before announcing a UK and Ireland tour which will begin in December 2022.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane  is the first major play adaptation of Neil’s work. His work in TV includes as the showrunner for the adaptation of  Good Omens  (co-authored with the late Sir Terry Pratchett); as a writer on two episodes of  Doctor Who;  and appearances in  The Simpsons  as himself as well in  Arthur ,  The Big Bang Theory  and  Lucifer . The TV series  The Sandman  is an adaptation of his bestselling   sequence of graphic novels. According to the BBC,  The Sandman  is one of the ‘100 Novels That Shaped Our World’ and all three seasons of the Audible adaptation have been New York Times and Amazon Bestsellers. Neil Gaiman has been awarded a Writers for Writers Award, a Hugo Award, Locus and Bram Stoker awards, and is the first author to have won both the Carnegie and Newbery Medals for the same work. In 2017, he became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. He received a Doctor of Letters from the University of St Andrews, is a Professor in the Arts at Bard College and is a Royal Society of Literature fellow.  neilgaiman.com   

Joel Horwood

Joel is a playwright and dramaturg whose work for theatre includes The Ocean At The End of the Lane for the National Theatre; The Great Elephant Chase at Burgtheater, Vienna; Berberian Sound Studio at the Donmar Warehouse; The Little Match Girl for Shakespeare’s Globe and Bristol Old Vic; I Want my Hat Back for the National Theatre which received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Family and Entertainment Show; This Changes Everything for Tonic Theatre which was nominated for a WGGB ‘Best New Play’ Award; A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts for Secret Theatre at the Lyric, Hammersmith and on UK tour; I Caught Crabs in Walberswick at the Pleasance, Edinburgh, on UK Tour and at the Bush; Food which won a Fringe First Award at the Traverse, Edinburgh and Mikey the Pikey at the Pleasance, Edinburgh. Work for screen includes Skins and The Reward which won the RED Connector Grand Prize in 2008. Joel has also adapted the Radiohead album OK Computer for BBC Radio 4.

Katy Rudd’s work in theatre includes Camp Siegfried at the Old Vic; The Almighty Sometimes at the Royal Exchange; A Curious Night at the Theatre at the Apollo; and The Butterfly at Salisbury Playhouse. As associate director theatre includes Groundhog Day (also on Broadway; Olivier Award for Best New Musical), Lungs and The Master Builder at the Old Vic; Pinocchio, Husbands and Sons and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (also on UK tour) at the National; Linda and The Twits at the Royal Court; and Mojo in the West End. As assistant director work includes Into the Woods at Regent’s Park; The Playboy of the Western World at the Old Vic; and The Constant Wife at Salisbury Playhouse.

Set Designer

Fly Davis trained at RADA and Motley School of Design. Her work in theatre includes Beginning (also West End, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and on UK tour), The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Pericles at the National Theatre; Caroline, or Change at Studio 54 and in the West End; Groan Ups on UK tour; Appropriate at the Donmar Warehouse; Vassa and Shipwreck at the Almeida; Tao of Glass at Manchester International Festival; and The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other at Edinburgh Royal Lyceum.

Samuel Wyer

Costume and puppet designer.

Samuel Wyer is a theatre designer, puppet maker and illustrator. As designer his work includes, Lazuli Sky at Sadler’s Wells with Birmingham Royal Ballet; Wolf, Witch, Giant, Fairy at the Royal Opera House with Little Bulb; Alice’s Adventures Underground, The Terrible Infants, The Trench and Dinner at the Twits for Les Enfants Terribles; Marvin’s Binoculars and WILD! at the Unicorn; and The Elephantom at the National Theatre and for Gyre & Gimble. As costume and puppet designer, his theatre includes She Described it to Death at the Royal Opera House; and The Wizard of Oz at the Birmingham Rep. As puppet designer his theatre includes The Boy in the Dress for the RSC; How to Hide a Lion at Polka; Raymond Briggs’ The Bear for Pins and Needles.

Steven Hoggett

Movement director.

Steven Hoggett’s recent work as movement director/ choreographer include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, in the West End and internationally; Angels in America on Broadway; The Crucible on Broadway; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (also West End and on Broadway), The Ocean at The End of the Lane and The Light Princess for the National Theatre; The Last Ship, Rocky, American Idiot and Peter and the Starcatcher on Broadway; Brooklynite for Vineyard Theatre; Let the Right One In   for National Theatre of Scotland and at St Anne’s Warehouse; The Glass Menagerie at A.R.T., on Broadway and at Edinburgh International Festival; Once at A.R.T., on Broadway and in the West End; Saint Joan at the Public Theater; and as associate director / movement, Black Watch for National Theatre of Scotland and at St Anne’s Warehouse. As director, recent work includes Social! Distance Dance Club at Park Avenue Armory; and Close to You: Bacharach Reimagined at New York Theatre Workshop and in the West End. Hoggett was a director and founding member of Frantic Assembly Theatre Company, and with Scott Graham co-wrote The Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre  (Routledge).

Jherek Bischoff

Jherek Bischoff is a composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumental performer. His work in theatre includes Andersen’s Stories, The Sandman, The Flying Classroom, Johnny Breitwieser and The Journey. His symphonies include Jump!Star and his ballets include Wash of Gray for Pacific Northwest Ballet. His work has been performed by orchestras and ensembles including The National Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Stargaze and yMusic, and he has collaborated with David Byrne, Robert Wilson and Anna Calvi amongst others. His compositions include work for Kronos Quartet, Lincoln Center, St Ann’s Warehouse and the Royal Conservatory. Jherek Bischoff’s releases include Cistern, Composed, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Walk with Me and Strung Out in Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute (co-release with Amanda Palmer). His work for TV and film includes The Devil Makes Three, The Beauty of Decay, New Amsterdam, Glow, The Grave of St Oran, Dog Days, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Thank You For Coming, Blunt Talk and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.

Paule Constable

Lighting designer.

Paule Constable trained at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her recent work in theatre includes The Normal Heart, The Visit, or the old lady comes to call, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, ‘Master Harold’… and the boys, Nine Night (also West End), Pericles and Follies at the National Theatre; …and breathe at the Almeida; Tenebrae: Lessons Learnt in Darkness (co-creator and lighting designer) at Brighton Festival; The Nico Project at Manchester International Festival; The Cherry Orchard at ITA, Amsterdam; Local Hero at Edinburgh Royal Lyceum; The Meeting at Chichester; ear for eye at the Royal Court; Les Misérables in Concert (at the Sondheim and Gielgud), Les Misérables and The Moderate Soprano in the West End.

Ian Dickinson for Autograph

Sound designer.

Ian is an award-winning sound designer and with extensive credits in the UK and internationally. Hi work has included The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Translations, Small Island, Angels in America (also Broadway), Husbands and Sons for the National Theatre; Camp Siegfried at the Old Vic; 2:22 at the Noël Coward; Company and Hangmen on Broadway and in the West End; Uncle Vanya at the Pinter Theatre and Audible Play; The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Bridge Theatre and Leeds Playhouse; Europe, Elegy, Roots and The Weir at the Donmar Warehouse; True West at the Vaudeville; Heisenberg at Wyndham’s; Fatherland at the Lyric, Hammersmith and The Royal Exchange, Manchester; Junkyard at Bristol Old Vic and on tour; Fracked! at Chichester Festival Theatre and on tour; Before I Leave at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff; Before the Party, Uncle Vanya, Children’s Children and Mrs Klein at the Almeida; Jerusalem at the Apollo; This House at the Garrick and on tour; Absent Friends at the Pinter; Love’s Sacrifice for the Royal Shakespear Company; The Nether at Duke of York’s; The River on Broadway; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, All My Sons and To Kill a Mockingbird at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre; and The Machine at Manchester International Festival and in New York.

Ian has received Tony nominations for his work on Broadway, most notably for Rock & Roll, Jerusalem and Angels In America. He was the recipient of both an Olivier and Drama Desk Award for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which has played at the National Theatre and toured venues worldwide. Ian has been a member of the Autograph team since 2009. autograph.co.uk

Jamie Harrison

Magic and illusions director and designer.

Jamie Harrison is co-artistic director of Vox Motus and has co-created, co-directed, and designed all of the company’s work, most recently Bedknobs and Broomsticks on UK tour with Disney / Michael Harrison Entertainment, Flight (Critics’ Awards for Theatre Scotland, Best Design; Herald Angel; New York Times Theatre moments of 2018) at Edinburgh International Festival and Dragon (UK Theatre Awards, Best Production for Children and Young People), a collaboration between Vox Motus, National Theatre of Scotland and Tianjin People’s Theatre, China. Other recent work includes set and illusion design for Mozart’s The Magic Flute for Ex Machina and Quebec Opera Festival; magic and illusion design for The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Pinocchio at the National Theatre. He created the magic and illusions for the multiple Olivier and Tony award-winning production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London’s West End, on Broadway, in San Francisco, Melbourne and Hamburg. Harrison also designed the puppets and illusions for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Jamie Harrison has won several international awards for his work including a special citation from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle and the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle ‘Excellence in a Theatre Specialism’ Award. In 2017 he was the recipient of the Edinburgh International Magic Festival’s Great Lafayette Award for outstanding contribution to stage magic. Jamie Harrison trained as an actor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Finn Caldwell

Puppetry director.

Finn Caldwell is a director, designer and performer and co-artistic director of Gyre & Gimble, a theatre company specialising in puppetry. His work in theatre includes Angels in America, The Light Princess and War Horse at the National. As puppetry director and co-designer work includes Life of Pi at Sheffield Crucible and in the West End; The Wicker Husband at the Watermill; The Grinning Man at Bristol Old Vic and in the West End; Dr Seuss’ The Lorax at the Old Vic and Toronto; and Running Wild at Chichester, on UK tour and Regent’s Park. Other theatre work includes The Bear for Pins and Needles; The Tempest at Birmingham Royal Ballet; Alice’s Adventures Underground and Adventures in Wonderland for Les Enfants Terrible; Ariodante at Festival Aix; and Shrek the Musical in the West End and on tour. As movement director, theatre includes Groundhog Day at the Old Vic and on international tour. As co-director and puppetry designer theatre includes Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons: A Reimagining at Shakespeare’s Globe; The Hartlepool Monkey for Fuel; and The Elephantom at the National and in the West End, for Gyre & Gimble. As director his work includes Ex Machina at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art; First Hippo on the Moon for Les Petits; and Lardo at the Old Red Lion.

Naomi Downham

Casting director.

Naomi Downham is currently Senior Casting Assistant at the National Theatre. She works across all three theatres on the South Bank as part of the National Theatre’s Casting department. Most recent work as a casting director includes The Crucible at the National Theatre; Athena at The Yard; and Hamlet and Jekyll & Hyde on school tours for the National Theatre. Work as casting associate includes The Corn Is Green , The Normal Heart , Death of England: Face to Face (film) and The Ocean at the End of the Lane (also West End) for the National Theatre. 

Sophie Dillon Moniram

Assicociate director.

Sophie Moniram’s work as director includes Favour (co-director) at the Bush ; POT at Ovalhouse, Stratford Circus and on national tour; The Diary of a Hounslow Girl (at valhouse and on national tours with Black Theatre Live and House Theatre; Homo Sacer for Old Vic 12; Uncle Vanya , Three Sisters and dirty butterfly at Guildhall; As You Like It , The Winter’s Tale , ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore , Women Beware Women and Falling at LAMDA; Midsummer Roman Feast for the RSC; F**king Outside the Box at VAULT Festival; The Five Stages of Waiting at Tristan Bates; Creditors at The Cockpit; The Star-Spangled Girl and Purgatorio at Karamel Club; Noah at the Young Vic; and a series of short plays written by prisoners for Synergy Theatre Projects. Work as an  associate, resident, or staff director includes The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre and the Duke of York’s; The Greatest Wealth at the Old Vic; The Visit, or the old woman comes to call at the National Theatre); Myth at the RSC; and Yerma at the Young Vic and screened on National Theatre Live.

Tim Blazdell

Associate set designer and draughtsperson.

Tim Blazdell’s work as design associate includes opening and closing ceremonies for various events, including the Expo2020 Dubai Opening Ceremony, Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games Turkmenistan and the Winter Olympic ceremonies in Sochi. TV as design associate includes Spongebob Squarepants the Musical: Live on Stage!. Work in theatre as video designer includes This House and London Road for the National Theatre; Only Fools and Horses, the Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Work as set designer includes Romeo and Juliet for Secret Cinema. Tim Blazdell has composed various works including Fallen Fruit , Declining Solo and Near Gone for Two Destination Language. As a digital artist, Blazdell has created work for Victoria’s Secret, Disney, X Factor, The Shard, Punchdrunk and Emma Hart.

Jessica Williams

Associate movement director.

Jessica Williams trained at London Contemporary Dance School (BA) and Trinity Laban Conservatoire (Transitions Dance Company). Work as a director includes Blood Harmony and Petrichor for ThickSkin; A Walk is Not a Walk for the Lyric Belfast; and Sorry, I Disappeared , an audio play for Derby Theatre. Work as a movement director includes, Celebrated Virgins at Theatr Clwyd; The Boy with Two Hearts at Wales Millennium Centre and the National Theatre; Constellations for NCPA Mumbai; Merched Caerdydd for Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru; One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’s Nest at the English Theatre Frankfurt; Our Country for Wilderness Theatre and The Public, New York; Tuck and A Good Clean Heart for Neontopia and Wales Millennium Centre; Harder Better Faster Stronger for Hijinx and Frantic Assembly at The Galleri Caernarfon. Work as associate director or associate movement director includes The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for the National Theatre; Beginning the National Theatre and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch; I Think We Are Alone and The Unreturning for Frantic Assembly on UK tour; Wonderland at Nottingham Playhouse; and Praxis Makes Perfect for National Theatre Wales.

Rob Casey for Ammonite

Associate lighting designer.

Rob Casey is the co-founder of Ammonite, a company specialising in the technical development and support of a diverse range of live entertainment. Ammonite’s credits include Frozen in Denver, on Broadway, on US tour, in Australia, the West End, Tokyo and Germany; Back to the Future in Manchester and London; Beauty and the Beast on UK tour and in the West End; The Lehman Trilogy on Broadway; Bat Out of Hell in Manchester, the West End, Toronto, on US tour and in Las Vegas; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End, on Broadway, in Australia, San Francisco and Germany; Les Misérables in the West End and on UK tour; Les Misérables: The Staged Concert in the West End; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the West End, on Broadway, on US and UK tours; and The Jungle in the West End and San Francisco. As an associate lighting designer, Casey’s work includes Hugh Jackman on international tour; Local Hero in Edinburgh; Pericles , wonder.land (also in Paris), The Light Princess and James I/II/III (also Edinburgh International Festival and on UK tour) at the National Theatre; Chess at London Coliseum; A Midsummer Night’s Dream , The Cripple of Inishmaan , Peter and Alice , Privates on Parade and Wolf Hall in the West End; The Audience and King Charles III in Sydney, New York and the West End; Red Shoes , The Phantom of the Opera and Sleeping Beauty on UK and US tours; A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Barbican and on world tour; Tarzan in Germany; Half a Sixpence and Barnum at Chichester; and Red Velvet at the Tricycle and in New York.

Christopher Reid

Associate sound designer.

Chris Reid is an award-winning sound designer based in London, with over 20 years’ experience working on a variety of theatrical productions in the West End, on Broadway and around the world. His work in theatre as sound designer includes Triple Threat at the Z, Virginia Beech; The Inheritance (Drama Desk Award, Tony and Olivier award nominations) at the Young Vic, in the West End and on Broadway; Hamlet for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company at RADA; Macbeth at the National Theatre of Scotland and on Japanese tour; Vincent River at the Old Red Lion; and Pinocchio , A Streetcar Named Desire , The Demon Barber , Tam O’ Shanter and Of Mice and Men at Perth Theatre. Work as associate sound designer includes Beginning at the National Theatre; The Jungle in New York and San Fransisco; Black Watch at the National Theatre of Scotland and on international tour. Billy Elliot the Musical in Japan, South Korea and Australia; Series 3 Presentation at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris; Charles III in the West End and on Broadway; and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, The Audience , Summer and Smoke , Mary Stuart , Skylight and Labour of Love in the West End. As Head of Sound work includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge; Glasgow Girls at Theatre Royal Stratford East; The Bee on international tour; Vixen in Trento, Italy; The Not-So Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo at Societaetstheater Dresden, Germany; and Jerusalem , Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , Billy Elliot the Musical and The Scottsboro Boys in the West End. crsounddesign.com

John Bulleid

Magic and illusions associate.

John Bulleid is an illusion designer, actor and magician with work behind multiple Olivier Award-winning productions. He holds the title of Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star, and trained as an actor at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Recent work includes Into the Woods at Theatre Royal Bath; Ride at Charing Cross Theatre; The Magician’s Elephant at the RSC; and A Christmas Carol at Nottingham Playhouse and Alexandra Palace. Bulleid is illusions and magic assistant on Harry Potter and The Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre. Further illusion design work includes The Worst Witch (Olivier Award, Best Family Show) at Northampton, on UK tour and at the Vaudeville; Death of a Salesman (Olivier nomination, Best Play Revival) at the Piccadilly; Oi Frog! (Olivier nomination, Best Family Show) at the Lyric; Our Lady of Kibeho (Olivier nomination, Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre) at Northampton and Stratford East; Dick Whittington at Theatre Royal Stratford East; The Canterville Ghost at the Unicorn; Witches of Eastwick at Cirkus, Stockholm; When Darkness Falls at Park Theatre; Doctor Who: Time Fracture for Immersive London; #WeAreArrested at the RSC and Arcola; Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain at Theatre Royal Bath; The Invisible Man and Partners in Crime at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch; Beauty and the Beast at Watford Palace; The Star at Liverpool Everyman; The Inn at Lydda at Shakespeare’s Globe; Dirty Dancing at Secret Cinema; Dracula in Thailand; The Gypsy Thread at the National Theatre Studio; The Ladykillers and The Secret Adversary at the Watermill; Thark at Park Theatre; Alice in Wonderland at Brewhouse, Taunton; Murder Most Fowl at Quay Arts Centre; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Theatre in the Forest. Work as magic associate includes The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre; Prince of Egypt at the Dominion; White Christmas at Curve, Leicester; and A Very Very Very Dark Matter at the Bridge. Short films include You and Universe and Loo.

Gareth Aled

Associate puppetry director.

Gareth Aled trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Work as puppetry director includes Al Adiyat/Expo 2020 Dubai for Nick Barnes Puppets/Artists In Motion; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Bridge; and War Horse on UK and international tour for the National Theatre (as resident puppet director). As associate puppet director, work includes The Ocean at The End of the Lane at the National Theatre and in the West End; and The Wicker Husband at the Watermill. Gareth Aled directed Romeo and Juliet at Emil Dale Academy. As an actor, work includes Curtain Up at Theatr Clwyd; Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Rose; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Leeds Playhouse; Running Wild at Regent’s Park and Chichester; The Machine Stops for York Theatre Royal and Pilot; The Magic Flute for Complicité; War Horse at the National Theatre; The Heart of Robin Hood at the RSC; 150 and Branches for National Theatre Wales.

Kate Godfrey

Voice and dialect coach.

Having worked as an actor for ten years, Kate Godfrey trained as a voice coach at The Central School of Speech and Drama from 1995–6. She has worked at Mountview Theatre School, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the National Theatre and the RSC. Her work in theatre includes War Horse , One Man Two Guvnors , 3 Winters and The Red Lion at the National Theatre; Venice Preserved, The Provoked Wife , King John and A Museum in Baghdad at the RSC; and various productions in the West End. Recent work includes productions at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Chichester Festival Theatre, and as voice coach to Jodie Comer on Prima Facie in the West End. Work in film includes Callas Forever a (as dialogue coach to Fanny Ardant) and The December Boys (as dialect coach to Daniel Radcliffe).

Resident Director

Nicky Cox trained at Dartington College of Arts. Her work as a director includes The Bah Humbug Club at the Lichfield Garrick ; Edifying Eddy  for The Unruly Regiment; Georgie the Knight and the Armour Too Bright for the Royal Shakespeare Company; Titania’s Dream at Compton Verney; Hidden Histories of New Place for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust; Signifying Nothing for Shakespeare Stripped; The Norman Conquests Trilogy, The 39 Steps, One Man, Two Guv’nors, Toad of Toad Hall , Brief Encounter and The Hound of the Baskervilles at The Bear Pit; Macbeth, Twelfth Night and Love Bites for Westcountry Theatre Company; The Winter’s Tale, The Crucible, Mother Courage, A Christmas Carol and Henry V  for Stage One Youth Theatre; and Man to Man for Wooden Fish Theatre Company, Cork. She worked as associate director on Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company: First Encounters National Tour, and her work as an assistant director includes Tartuffe , Three Letters and Kingdom Come for the Royal Shakespeare Company; A Midsummer Night’s Dream – A Play for the Nation  for Mechanical Scenes, Royal Shakespeare Company and The Bear Pit; and Much Ado About Nothing for Westcountry Theatre Company, Minack Theatre. Nicky Cox is an Associate Learning Practitioner for the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as working as a freelance events host with clients including Historic Royal Palaces, Stratford Literary Festival, Emma Bridgewater’s Festival in a Factory and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has also worked as an actress, touring schools and open-air venues across the Southwest.

John Maddox for Suspended Illusions Ltd

Performer flying.

John Maddox founded Suspended Illusions Ltd after a decade of touring the world with theatre shows and circuses. Suspended Illusions designs, builds and integrates custom magic illusions, wire flying rigs and special effects for live performance. Their systems have been toured extensively throughout Europe and North America. His work for theatre includes Othello, Peter Pan, A Taste of Honey and The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre; Newsies at Troubadour Wembley Park; Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse; Brian & Rodger and Habeas Corpus at the Menier Chocolate Factory; Dystopian Dream , a collaborative piece choreographed by Wang Rameriz and music by Nitin Sawney at the Sadler’s Wells and on international tour; The Secret Life of Humans in London and New York; and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (also on UK tour) and The Windsors: Endgame in the West End. John Maddox has also created effects for Sigur Rós’ world tour, Nick Mohammed and several magicians.

Charlie Brooks

Ursula/skarthatch.

Charlie Brooks trained at Arts Educational Schools. Her work in theatre includes All in a Row at Southwark Playhouse; Monogamy and Contact.com at Park Theatre; How the Other Half Loves and Beautiful Thing on UK tour; A Streetcar Named Desire at Leicester Curve; Our Country’s Good at Liverpool Playhouse; Dangerous Corner at Windsor Theatre Royal; The Play I Wrote for Bill Kenwright; and Office Games at the Pleasance. TV includes Lie With Me , Moving On , Suspects , The Dumping Ground , EastEnders , Wired , Robin Hood , Love Soup , Heartbeat , Casualty , Angel of Death , Bleakhouse , Golden Hour , Ward4 and Playground . Film include Fog and Take Three Girls . Charlie Brooks was the winner of ITV’s primetime Celebrity survival show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! . She has extensive radio credits and personal TV appearances. Alongside stage and screen Charlie is the founder of iampro, an online drama school and creative hub.

Daniel Cornish

Boy (alternate).

Daniel Cornish trained at Guildford School of Acting. Work in theatre includes  A Certain Term at White Bea; The Good Scout for Above the Stag; The Little Prince at Vienna’s English Theatre; and Maggie and Ted at the Garrick Theatre. TV includes Doctors .

Trevor Fox’s work in theatre includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (West End), My Brilliant Friend , Macbeth and The Pitman Painters (also West End and New York) for the National Theatre; Peggy for You at Hampstead; The Jungle at the Young Vic, in the West End and in the US; People, Places and Things on tour; Amedee at Birmingham;  The Tempest , Cymbeline , The Oresteia , Measure for Measure , A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Gabriel , Coriolanus and Under the Black Flag at Shakespeare’s Globe; King Lear and Children’s Children at the Almeida; The Cherry Orchard at Oxford Stage; Toast in Newcastle; and Billy Elliot in the West End. TV includes Rain Dogs , The Thief, his Wife and the Canoe , The Moonstone , Beowulf , Joe Maddison’s War and Our Friends in the North . Film includes The Old Oak , The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry , Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason , Gabriel and Me and Billy Elliot .

Emma-Jane Goodwin

Understudy/ensemble.

Emma-Jane Goodwin trained at East 15 Acting School. Her work in theatre includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for the National Theatre in the West End and on UK, Ireland and international tour; Sandra After Birthday and Her Big Chance for Round Pebble; Someone’s Out There for Sglodion Fawr Theatre; and Love Steals Us from Loneliness for Chippy Lane. TV includes Stella . Radio includes Bert & Dave’s Big Break .

Paolo Guidi

Paolo Guidi is an actor based in London. Most recently, he was part of the cast of a new movement film Touch for Frantic Assembly. He has spent the last six years working with Frantic Assembly as a practitioner, teacher, and movement director. 

Millie Hikasa

Millie Hikasa trained at Arts Educational, where productions included Another F***ing Play About Race , In the Red and Brown Water and Macbeth . Work in theatre includes Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre. Short films include Hitmen .

Lewis Howard

Lewis Howard trained at Birmingham School of Acting (now Birmingham Conservatoire). Work in theatre includes War Horse for the National Theatre, on UK and world tours; Al Adeyat for Artists in Motion; Swivelhead for Pipeline Theatre; Cider with Rosie and Jamaica Inn for Trebiggan Productions; Richard III and Hamlet for Hiraeth Artistic Productions; 24UK and Christmas. Time. For Near-ta Theatre on UK tour; and 4:48 Psychosis for Crooked Pieces. Short films include The Big Return of Ray Lamere .

Kemi-Bo Jacobs

Kemi-Bo Jacobs trained at LAMDA, and was awarded the RSC’s British Bursary Award in 2014. Work in theatre includes The Winter’s Tale (as Hermione) at the RSC; All My Sons for Talawa; Wild East at the Young Vic; and All White Everything but Me (also writer; Stage Debut Award nomination) for Alphabetti Theatre. TV includes The Letter for the King , The Great , McMafia , Thirteen , Delicious , The Honourable Woman Lewis and Doctor Who. Film includes London Has Fallen .

Jasmeen James

Jasmeen James’ work in theatre includes Jekyll and Hyde at the National Theatre and on UK tour; Macbeth and A Christmas Carol for the Globe Players; Fragments of a Complicated Mind at Theatre 503; A Wake in Progress for Fine Mess and Underbelly, Edinburgh; Lady Macbeth in Macbeth for the Young Shakespeare Company; Juliet in Romeo and Juliet for AFTLS; Crime and Punishment and Woman of Troy for God & Monsters; Antipholus of Syracuse and Comedy of Errors at the Orange Tree Theatre; The House Of Bernarda Alba for N1; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Court Theatre Training Company.

Ensemble/Lodger

Ronnie Lee trained at Laine Theatre Arts graduating in July 2018, where productions included Just So and The Laramie Project . Work in theatre includes Sleeping Beauty at The Capitol, Horsham; Dick Whittington at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford; The Laine Show , Star Track and Laine Aflame at Epsom Playhouse; and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End.

Aimee McGoldrick

Aimee McGoldrick is a recent graduate of Mountview Academy. Work in theatre includes A Walk is Not Just a Walk with Lyric, Belfast; writing and performing in the one-person production No Tits & Plenty of Troubles at Golden Goose;and devising with Tinderbox, Manifesto Poetico and the Lyric, Belfast. Film includes A Bump Along the Way .

Laurie Ogden

Sis / ensemble.

Laurie Ogden is a graduate of National Youth Theatre Rep company 2018/19, where her productions included To Kill a Mockingbird at Lyric Hammersmith; Victoria’s Knickers and Consensual at Soho Theatre; and Macbeth at the Garrick. Her other work in theatre includes Different Owners at Sunrise at the Roundhouse; Bible John at the Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe Festival; and Napoli, Brooklyn at Park Theatre and on tour. TV includes Great Expectations. Film includes The Colour Room , Aye of the Beholder and Monstrum .

Keir Ogilvy

Keir Ogilvy trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Work in theatre includes Restless Natives for the National Theatre of Scotland; and No Future at Camden People’s Theatre and Shoreditch Town Hall.

Domonic Ramsden

Domonic Ramsden graduated from Arts Educational Schools, London. Work in theatre includes War Horse at the National Theatre and on national and international tour; Aladdin at the Beck; Snow White at Salisbury Playhouse; and Musical of the Year for Lost Theatre. Other puppetry work includes Tums Commercial , Ragdoll and  Out of the Deep Blue .

Joe Rawlinson-Hunt

Joe Rawlinson-Hunt is an actor, singer and voiceover artist. He trained on the W1 Workshops Advanced Process and Performance Course, with productions including Radiant Vermin . His work in theatre includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on UK tour for the National Theatre. As a voiceover artist, he has worked with many clients all over the world and has recently recorded an undisclosed project with Marvel .

Risha Silvera

Risha Silvera trained with Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company. Work in theatre includes Black Women Dating White Men at Drayton Arms;  Jack Frost for Moon on a Stick; and  Starcrazy for Miracle Theatre. As a puppetry performer, work includes The Hatchling for the Queen’s Jubilee; and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Athletes Welcome Ceremony . TV includes This is Going to Hurt. Short films include Anthropocene: The Human Era . 

Finty Williams

Old mrs hempstock.

Finty Williams’ recent work in theatre includes  The Key Workers Cycle at the Almeida; and The Chalk Garden at Theatre Royal, Windsor and Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford. Other work in theatre includes Twelfth Night at the National Theatre;  A Pack of Lies (as Barbara) at the Menier Chocolate Factory; The Divide at the Edinburgh Festival and at the Old Vic; Dinner with Friends at Park Theatre; The Vote and Luise Miller at the Donmar;  The Armour for Defibrillator at the Langham; Dangerous Corner at Theatre Royal Windsor and on tour; The Lightning Child , Macbeth and Bedlam at Shakespeare’s Globe; Bedroom Farce at the Rose, Kingston and in the West End; and The Night of the Iguana at the Noël Coward. Recent TV includes The A List (series regular), The Vote, Doc Martin, Cranford (series 1 and 2) and Tales from the Crypt . Films include Six Minutes to Midnight, We Can Be Heroes , Delicious , The Good Night , Ladies in Lavender , The Importance of Being Earnest and Gosford Park . 

Cast and performance dates are subject to change without notice.

Laurie Ogden (Sis), Charlie Brooks (Ursula) and Trevor Fox (Dad) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Credit Pamela Raith.

Charlie Brooks (Ursula) and Keir Ogilvy (Boy) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Domonic Ramsden, Keir Oglivy (Boy), Aimee McGolderick and Millie Hikasa (Lettie) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock) and Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Ginnie) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock) and Millie Hikasa (Lettie) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock) and Trevor Fox (Dad) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Keir Ogilvy (Boy), Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock) and Millie Hikasa (Lettie) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Keir Ogilvy (Boy), Millie Hikasa (Lettie) and the cast of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Keir Ogilvy (Boy), Millie Hikasa (Lettie), Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Ginnie) and the cast of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Millie Hikasa (Lettie) and Keir Ogilvy (Boy) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Millie Hikasa (Lettie) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Millie Hikasa (Lettie), Keir Ogilvy (Boy) in The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

The cast of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. c. Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Neil Gaiman Surprises Cast

Official Trailer

The cast describe the plot in 15 seconds

Learning Resources

Free  downloadable resource pack, the ocean at the end of the lane is an entertaining and engaging live theatre experience for students and teachers..

An extensive learning resource is available to support your visit to the theatre, which is designed to enhance students' understanding of the production, with links to Drama and English.

The pack includes opportunities to respond to the production for the Live Production element of GCSE and/or A Level Drama & Theatre. It also provides information about the production, interviews with the creative team, and ways in which it can inform and inspire devised or scripted work in schools or colleges.

'The Ocean at the End of the Lane should be on every teacher's must-see list. It is an outstanding new resource for the Drama classroom which provides endless opportunities for follow-up study. It easily matches The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in its appeal to young people and deserves to make a big and long-lasting impact on drama education.'

Sam Butler , Teacher, Robert Clack School

Duke of York's Theatre

The ocean at the end of the lane.

Live at the Duke of York's Theatre

The Ocean at the End of the Lane At Duke of York's Theatre, London

The ocean at the end of the lane is now on a uk tour..

“Monster-powered adrenaline spectacular” - Guardian

“Out of this world” - Daily Mail

“Makes you marvel at what theatre can do” - The Stage

“Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel is brought to thrilling life.” - The Times

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.

Adapted from the best-selling Neil Gaiman novel by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd , this spectacular and thrilling adventure is a tour de force of imagination and storytelling.

‍ The Ocean at the End of the Lane Reviews

★★★★★ DAILY TELEGRAPH - ‘​ The National Theatre at its very best. Spellbinding ’

★★★★★ MAIL ON SUNDAY - ‘​ Truly spectacular ’

★★★★★ WHATSONSTAGE - ‘​ Entrancing, uplifting and wonderfully funny ’

The Ambassador Theatre Group Limited Registered Address: 2nd Floor, Alexander House, Church Path, Woking, GU21 6EJ

The Ocean at the End of the Lane UK & Ireland Tour – First Look Images

New production images have been released for the National Theatre’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane UK and Ireland Tour .

New production images are released for the National Theatre’s critically acclaimed The Ocean at the End of the Lane , based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman. Adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd, this thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship is visiting 29 towns and cities, across the UK and Ireland. This show opens on Tuesday 20 December at The Lowry in Salford and tours until 30 September 2023.

The 17-strong ensemble cast are: Charlie Brooks( Ursula ), Daniel Cornish (alternate Boy ), Trevor Fox( Dad ), Emma-Jane Goodwin (understudy), Paolo Guidi (ensemble), Millie Hikasa ( Lettie Hempstock ), Lewis Howard (understudy), Kemi-Bo Jacobs ( Ginnie Hempstock ), Jasmeen James (understudy), Ronnie Lee (ensemble), Aimee McGoldrick (ensemble), Laurie Ogden ( Sis ), Keir Ogilvy ( Boy ), Domonic Ramsden (ensemble), Joe Rawlinson-Hunt (understudy), Risha Silvera (understudy) and Finty Williams ( Old Mrs Hempstock ).

Charlie Brooks is scheduled to perform in Salford, Woking, Leicester, Plymouth, Sunderland, Bath, Belfast, Dublin, Bradford, Wimbledon, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham and Cardiff, with further venues to be confirmed.

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 remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn’t a pond, but an ocean – a place where everything is possible… Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them.

This first major stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s work blends magic with memory in a tour-de-force of storytelling that takes audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it.

The award-winning creative team also includes set designer, Fly Davis; costume and puppet designer, Samuel Wyer; movement director, Steven Hoggett; composer, Jherek Bischoff; lighting designer, Paule Constable; sound designer, Ian Dickinson; magic and illusions director and designer, Jamie Harrison;puppetry director, Finn Caldwell and casting director, Naomi Downham. The associate creative team includes associate director, Sophie Dillon Moniram; associate set designer, Tim Blazdell; associate movement director, Jess Williams; associate lighting designers, Rob Casey (for Ammonite) and Tom Turner; associate sound designer, Chris Reid; associate magic and illusions director, John Bulleid; and associate puppetry director, Gareth Aled.

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE TOUR TICKETS AND SCHEDULE

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Douglas Mayo has had a life long love affair with musical theatre. He has authored several books on publicity and marketing for amateur theatre groups. He is in the process of developing a musical based on his original story concept.

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Cast Announced For the UK and Ireland Tour of THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE

The production will tour across the UK and Ireland and will come to Milton Keynes Theatre on 27 June 2023.

Casting is announced for The National Theatre 's critically-acclaimed production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman . Adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd , this thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship will visit 29 towns and cities, across the UK and Ireland and will come to Milton Keynes Theatre on 27 June 2023.

The cast includes, Daniel Cornish (alternate Boy), Trevor Fox (Dad), Emma-Jane Goodwin (understudy), Paolo Guidi (ensemble), Millie Hikasa (Lettie Hempstock), Lewis Howard (understudy), Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Ginnie Hempstock), Ronnie Lee (ensemble), Aimee McGoldrick (ensemble), Laurie Ogden (Sis), Keir Ogilvy (Boy), Domonic Ramsden (ensemble), Joe Rawlinson-Hunt (understudy), Risha Silvera (understudy) and Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock). Further casting to be announced.

National Theatre Director, Rufus Norris said: "We are delighted to be returning to nationwide touring with this spellbinding production of Neil Gaiman 's hit fantasy novel. Joel Horwood , Katy Rudd and their formidable creative team have created such a special show that appeals to all ages and beautifully showcases the magic of live performance. Before the pandemic over 50% of The National Theatre 's audience was seeing our work outside the capital, and so it is a pleasure to share this much-loved story with theatres and audiences across the UK and Ireland and to reconnect with them once again through live theatre."

Daniel Cornish's previous theatre credits include A Certain Term and The Good Scout. Trevor Fox has previously appeared in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and My Brilliant Friend for The National Theatre . Emma-Jane Goodwin was previously in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at The National Theatre and in the West End. Paolo Guidi most recently was part of a new movement film Torch for Frantic Assembly. Millie Hikasa made her professional debut with the NT this summer in Jack Absolute Flies Again after graduating from ArtsEd this year. Lewis Howard 's previous theatre credits include War Horse. Kemi-Bo Jacobs has performed for the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared on TV in The Letter for the King and The Great. Ronnie Lee 's previous theatre includes Harry Potter and Cursed Child. Aimee McGoldrick's recent theatre credits include A Walk is Not Just a Walk at Lyric Theatre Belfast. Laurie Ogden has previously toured with Napoli, Brooklyn and appeared in Great Expectations for BBC. Keir Ogilvy will be making his touring debut with The National Theatre . Domonic Ramsden 's previous theatre credits include War Horse. Joe Rawlinson-Hunt recently toured with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Risha Silvera will be making her touring debut with the NT. Finty Williams recent theatre credits include The Key Workers Cycle and The Chalk Circle and for TV she was a series regular in The A List.

Neil Gaiman is known for his graphic novels, including The Sandman series (a major new Netflix series which in its first 10 days was watched for over 198 million hours by audiences around the world); his novels for adults and children including Stardust, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book; and multiple film and television projects including Good Omens and Anansi Boys. The Ocean at the End of the Lane was the winner of the Book of the Year at the 2013 National Book Awards and has sold more than 1.2 million copies worldwide. This first major stage adaptation of his work blends magic with memory in a tour-de-force of storytelling that takes audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it.

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 remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn't a pond, but an ocean - a place where everything is possible...

Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them.

An award-winning creative team join Katy Rudd (Camp Siegfried and Eureka Day, Old Vic) and Joel Horwood (E4's Skins; I Want My Hat Back, National Theatre); with set design by Fly Davis (Beginning, National Theatre; Caroline or Change, Chichester Festival Theatre, West End, Broadway) and costume and puppet design by Samuel Wyer (The Wizard of Oz, Birmingham Rep; Wolf Witch Giant Fairy, Royal Opera House). Movement direction is by Steven Hoggett (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, National Theatre, West End, Broadway; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West End, Broadway and internationally), composition by Jherek Bischoff (collaborators include David Byrne and Amanda Palmer ), lighting design is by Paule Constable (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, National Theatre, West End; The Normal Heart, National Theatre), sound design by Ian Dickinson for Autograph (Angels in America, National Theatre and Broadway; Small Island, National Theatre), magic and illusions direction and design by Jamie Harrison (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, West End; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West End, Broadway and internationally) and puppetry direction by Finn Caldwell (Life of Pi, Sheffield Crucible, West End; War Horse, National Theatre). Tour casting is by Naomi Downham. The associate creative team include, Sophie Dillon Moniram as associate director, Tim Blazdell as associate set designer, Jessica Williams as associate movement director, Rob Casey for Ammonite and Tom Turner as associate lighting designers, Chris Reid as associate sound designer, John Bulleid as magic and illusions associate, and Gareth Aled as associate puppetry director.

The tour will open at The Lowry in Salford where it will play over Christmas (12 December 2022 - 8 January 2023), before visiting New Victoria Theatre, Woking (24 - 28 January); Leicester Curve (31 January - 11 February); Theatre Royal Plymouth (14 - 25 February); Sunderland Empire (28 February - 4 March); Theatre Royal Bath (7 - 18 March); Grand Opera House, Belfast (21 - 25 March); Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin (28 March - 1 April); The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (4 - 8 April); New Wimbledon Theatre (11 - 15 April); Edinburgh Festival Theatre (18 - 22 April); Liverpool Empire (2 - 6 May); Sheffield Lyceum Theatre (9 - 20 May); The Alexandra, Birmingham (23 - 27 May); Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (30 May - 3 June); Nottingham Theatre Royal (6 - 17 June); New Theatre, Oxford (20 - 24 June); Milton Keynes Theatre (27 June - 1 July); Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (4 - 8 July); Newcastle Theatre Royal (11 - 22 July); Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (25 - 29 July); Cliffs Pavilion, Southend (8 - 12 August); Bristol Hippodrome (15 - 19 August); His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen (22 - 26 August); King's Theatre, Glasgow (29 August - 2 September); Norwich Theatre Royal (5 - 9 September); Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (12 - 16 September); Hall for Cornwall, Truro (19 - 23 September) and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (26 - 30 September).

Assisted performances are available at every venue across the tour, with a Relaxed Performance added to the existing access performance schedule on 28 September 2023 at 2:30pm Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Check individual venue websites for full details.

Touring for a total of 40 weeks, including 5 Theatre Nation Partner venues, this is the largest tour mounted by The National Theatre since before the COVID-19 pandemic. This UK and Ireland tour follows a celebrated six-month run of The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End, which opened in 2021 after the production received its world premiere in the Dorfman Theatre in 2019.

UK Regional SHOWS

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The Ocean announce UK and European tour with LLNN and Playgrounded

German prog metal sextet The Ocean return to UK for the first time since the Covid pandemic

German prog metal sextet  The Ocean  have announced a UK and European tour to run from late August to early October this year.  It's the first time the. band, sometimes knows as The Ocean Collective, have been able to visit these shores since the release of 2020's Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic .

The band will be supported on all dates by Greek dark proggers Playgrounded and Danish post metal outfit LLNN .

"We’re stoked to take our pandemic album Phanerozoic II out on the road after all this downtime, some rescheduled shows and some new ones,": says main writer and guitarist Robin Staps. "With LLNN and Playgrounded we have two like-minded cutting edge bands on board that are 'redefining heaviness', to speak in Roadburn terms, not only by distorted guitars but also by their innovative use of electronics in heavy music."

The Ocean/Playgrounded/LLNN tour dates: Aug 24: NED Rotterdam Baroeg Aug 25: UK Brighton Patterns  Aug 26: UK London 229  Aug 27: UK Milton Keynes Craufurd Arms  Aug 28: UK Birmingha  02 Academy 3 Aug 29: UK Nottingham Rescue Rooms Aug 30: UK Glasgow Slay Sep 1: IRE Cork Cyprus Avenue Sep 2:  IRE Dublin Whelans Sep 3: UK Manchester Club Academy  Sep 4: UK Leeds Key Club  Sep 5: UK Bristol The Fleece  Sep 6: FRA Lille The Black Lab  Sep 7: BEL Brussels Botanique  Sep 8: NED Zwolle Hedon Sep 9: GER Bremen Hellseatic Sep 10: DEN Copenhagen Pumpehuset  Sep11: DEN Aalborg 1000Fryd  Sep 12: NOR Stavanger Folken  Sep 13: NOR Bergen Landmark Sep 14: NOR Oslo Bla Sep 15: SWE Stockholm Hus7 Sep 17: FIN Helsinki On The Rocks  Sep 18: EST Tallinn Sveta  Sep 20: POL Warsaw Progresja  Sep 21: POL Wroclaw, Akademia  Sep 22: AUT Vienna Szene Sep 23: SLO Bratislava Randal  Sep 24: ROM Cluj-Napoca Form Space  Sep 25: ROM Bucharest Quantic  Sep 26: BUL Sofia Mixtape5  Sep 27: GRE Thessaloniki Principal Sep 28: GRE Athens Temple  Sep 30: CRO Zagreb, Mochvara  Oct 1: HUN Budapest Akvarium  Oct 2: CZE Prague Underdogs 

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Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.

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How to get tickets for The Ocean at the End of the Lane UK tour and the West End

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is heading on tour across the UK this summer, before ending up in the West End for a limited run. Here's all you need to know with tickets on sale now.

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane is returning to the West End this autumn following a tour around the UK, and it's starting this summer!

The show promises to be a magical adventure like no other, taking the audience on an adventure back to the land of a childhood once forgotten. Based on the works of best-selling author Neil Gaiman, who also wrote hits like Good Omens, the tale follows a man as he is transported back to his 12th birthday while visiting his childhood home.

As the pond beside his house becomes an ocean, he and his friend Lettie enter a magical world where they have to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them as they struggle to survive. Be aware that this show is not suitable for children under the age of 12, as it contains some sensitive subject matter, and children under five won't be admitted.

The show will be kicking off its tour of the UK in Oxford later in June and travelling up and down the country before ending up in London for a limited West End run from 11th October.

Read on for the full list of dates and venues, plus everything you need to know about getting tickets now.

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Buy tickets for The Ocean at the End of the Lane on tour from £13 at ATG Tickets

Buy tickets for The Ocean at the End of the Lane on the West End from £24 at LOVEtheatre

When and where is The Ocean at the End of the Lane showing?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane will the touring across the UK this summer before heading to the West End, where it will be showing at the Noel Coward Theatre from Wednesday 11th October until Saturday 25th November 2023.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane UK tour: full list of dates and venues

• 20 Jun 2023 to 24 Jun 2023 — Oxford, New Oxford Theatre
• 27 Jun 2023 to 1 Jul 2023 — Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre
• 4 Jul 2023 to 8 Jul 2023   — Southend, Mayflower Theatre
• 11 Jul 2023 to 22 Jul 2023 — Newcastle, Theatre Royal
• 25 Jul to 29 Jul 2023 — Canterbury, Marlow Theatre
• 8 Aug 2023 to 12 Aug 2023 — Southend-on-Sea, Cliffs Pavilion
• 15 Aug 2023 to 19 Aug 2023 — Bristol, Bristol Hippodrome
• 22 Aug to 26 Aug 2023 — Aberdeen, His Majesty's Theatre
• 29 Aug 2023 to 2 Sep 2023 — Glasgow, King's Theatre
• 5 Sep 2023 to 9 Sep 2023  — Norwich, Theatre Royal
• 12 Sep 2023 to 16 Sep 2023 — Stoke-on-Trent, Regent Theatre
• 19 Sep 2023 to 23 Sep 2023 — Truro, Hall for Cornwall
• 26 Sep 2023 to 30 Sep 2023  — Wolverhampton, Grand Theatre
• 4 Oct 2023 to 7 Oct 2023  — Salford, The Lowry
• 11 Oct 2023 to 25 Nov 2023 — London, Noël Coward Theatre

How much are tickets to see The Ocean at the End of the Lane?

Tickets prices for The Ocean at the End of the Lane will vary depending on the venue when the show is on tour, but they look to start from around £13 for the most affordable tickets, with the priciest ones going up to around £65.

Tickets to see the show on the West End start at £20 and go up to £125 for the best seats in the house. If you're on a budget, have a read of our guide on how to get cheap theatre tickets for tips and advice.

Buy tickets for The Ocean at the End of the Lane from £13 at ATG Tickets

How long is The Ocean at the End of the Lane show?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is two hours and 35 minutes long. This includes an interval where you can stretch your legs and, if you're lucky, get an ice cream. This is a pretty normal run-time for a show like this, and we'd always recommend arriving at least 15 minutes before the show is scheduled to start, so that you can find your seat and not miss anything, especially as some shows won't allow people to enter once they've started.

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How to get tickets to The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Tickets to The Ocean at the End of the Lane are available at ATG Tickets and through the National Theatre , as well as at LOVEtheatre for the London shows. Tickets are on sale now, and since there's such a limited number of shows at each venue we'd recommend you act sooner rather than later to buy tickets for your home town. Good luck!

Check out our Going Out section where we have all the latest information on what to do in London and across the UK, including how to get tickets to see Home Alone in concert and how to get Vanya with Andrew Scott tickets .

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane at Noël Coward Theatre has now fin9ished.

From the imagination of Neil Gaiman , best-selling author of Good Omens , Coraline and The Sandman , the National Theatre’s smash-hit production The Ocean at the End of the Lane returns to the West End this October for seven weeks only. Garnering more than 60 five-star reviews, this spectacular and thrilling theatrical event is a tour de force of magic and storytelling. Adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd , The Ocean at the End of the Lane takes audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten.

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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.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane Reviews

“Spellbinding. The National Theatre at its very best.” Daily Telegraph

“Shows like this don’t come along very often.” Time Out

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Photography by Brinkhoff / Mögenburg

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• Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024

First look: The Ocean at the End of the Lane on tour

A first look at the new UK tour of The Ocean at the End of the Lane has been revealed.

The National Theatre’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel opened on the road this month.

Adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd, the thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship will visit 29 towns and cities over the next nine months, opening this week at the The Lowry in Salford.

The 17-strong ensemble cast are: Charlie Brooks ( Ursula ), Daniel Cornish (alternate Boy ), Trevor Fox ( Dad ), Emma-Jane Goodwin (understudy), Paolo Guidi (ensemble), Millie Hikasa ( Lettie Hempstock ), Lewis Howard (understudy), Kemi-Bo Jacobs ( Ginnie Hempstock ), Jasmeen James (understudy), Ronnie Lee (ensemble), Aimee McGoldrick (ensemble) , Laurie Ogden ( Sis ), Keir Ogilvy ( Boy ), Domonic Ramsden (ensemble), Joe Rawlinson-Hunt (understudy), Risha Silvera (understudy) and Finty Williams ( Old Mrs Hempstock ).

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 remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn’t a pond, but an ocean – a place where everything is possible… Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane tour tickets, venues & dates »

The award-winning creative team includes set designer, Fly Davis; costume and puppet designer, Samuel Wyer; movement director, Steven Hoggett; composer, Jherek Bischoff; lighting designer, Paule Constable; sound designer, Ian Dickinson; magic and illusions director and designer, Jamie Harrison; puppetry director, Finn Caldwell and casting director, Naomi Downham. The associate creative team includes associate director, Sophie Dillon Moniram; associate set designer, Tim Blazdell; associate movement director, Jess Williams; associate lighting designers, Rob Casey (for Ammonite) and Tom Turner; associate sound designer, Chris Reid; associate magic and illusions director, John Bulleid; and associate puppetry director, Gareth Aled.

More on: The Ocean at the End of the Lane News

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.

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The Ocean tour dates 2024

The Ocean is currently touring across 4 countries and has 8 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at San Francisco Bath House in Wellington, after that they'll be at The Triffid in Newstead.

Currently touring across

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• 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
• 🇦🇺 Australia

Upcoming concerts (8) See nearest concert

THE OCEAN AOTEAROA

The Triffid

Letní Kino Špilberk

Rosemount Hotel

170 Russell (Formerly Billboard)

Lion Art Factory

Hi-fi Indy & Hi-fi Annex

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Recent tour reviews

Great energy, amazing concert. All band members are really engaged with the audience during the show and it gives great interactions. Repeating myself but the energy of it all was unreal, one of the best live shows I've been to, made me apreciate their studio albums even more.

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First off, awesome show.

That said, the singer of The Ocean had lost his voice and while the music was often enough to be great, you could tell that it was a little off. Repetitive without the singer to say the least. A band like Animals as Leaders, without vocals at all, forces one to be more creative but when you rely on a singer to be present you can get away with a little repetition. On the encore they had the singer from Herod which worked out great.

A shout out to Sâver and Herod which both were great. I didn't really care for Årabrot at all, and I usually go for that kind of stuff, but it was a little too much. The woman in the band was amazing though.

All in all a wonderful show and I look forward to seeing The Ocean (with a full band) in the future.

Great concert. Powerful performance. Lead singer was very energetic. Drummer was simply unreal. All band members in superb harmony. Perfect sound quality. Engaged crowd that turned up en masse to this small venue (Voodoo Lounge) that we have visited many times. Support acts Herod and Downfall of Gaia were also very strong performers.

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The Ocean At The End Of The Lane UK Tour Review

  Neil Gaiman is a master in storytelling. His words transport readers to another life, another time, or another world and take you on an adventure that sticks with you for a lifetime. He weaves mystery, horror, thriller and fantasy into a story that is like no other that you have read. To say I’m a fan is an understatement, but the success of his stories have spanned across decades and evolved into adaptions that bring these magical worlds to life.  

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is a tale of the mystery and mundane that has been adapted by the wonders at the National Theatre to create a staggeringly powerful play. After a successful run in London (that had me completely gutted I missed!) I was so pleased to see it was heading on tour.  

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane follows the story of Boy. An unassuming 12 year old that enjoys immersing himself in a book. One evening after witnessing his families lodger die, he meets Lettie, the young girl who lives on a nearby farm and is anything but ordinary. As Lettie introduces him to her world, Boy inadvertently unleashes Ursula, a flea/monster that can create worm holes and ruin lives. In his venture to rid his world of Ursula, Boy must truly understand himself and find out his place in the world around him amongst the waves of grief and sorrow that is found in real life.  

Boy was brought to life by Keir Ogilvy. His expressions and stage presence transported you into his world and mind whilst Millie Hikasa played Lettie, the headstrong young girl who could whip up a spell and stand her ground. But the star was definitely Charlie Brooks as Ursula. She was captivating and commanded the stage in a way that you would expect an other worldly creature to do. Her energy to bounce around stage, fly in the air and go from manic to serene was a masterpiece in acting.  

I adored the way that the supporting cast seemed to always be on stage. From moving props, to lifting the lead cast, to being that ominous creature just lingering nearby. They created monsters, moving parts, and puppets that were borderline terrifying. The staging and puppetry truly brought the show to life and injected it with a boost that places it head and shoulders above other plays. From magic touches to staggering monsters made out of the whole cast, each magical and terrifying element of this show has been worked on meticulously to create a play that is probably one of the best I’ve ever seen. The staging envelopes the characters and the striking lighting and subtle soundtrack allows the audience to feel transported into the world on stage.  

  The Ocean At The End Of The Lane takes you on a story like no other. It allows you to escape into childhood, grieve for those you have lost, and accept those that might be different to us. It’s a show that I would see tomorrow if I had the opportunity to and a show that needs to remain the world for everyone to see.  

On at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton before continuing on a UK Tour, you can find out more information and buy tickets at the following links:

Mayflower Tickets

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane UK Tour

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• Aug 30, 2023

REVIEW: The Ocean at the End of the Lane (UK Tour, Glasgow)

Updated: Dec 6, 2023

29 August 2023

King's Theatre, Glasgow

A magical piece of theatre.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman was the winner of the Book of the Year at the 2013 National Book Awards and has sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. As a fan of Gaiman's work (Stardust, Coraline, Good Omens, The Sandman) I have somehow managed to let 'Ocean' pass me by. The stage adaptation had a very successful six-month run in London's West end, but as the UK tour arrives in Glasgow, I remain oblivious to the plot. I expect nothing more than to be transported into Neil Gaiman's incredible imagination.

On entering the auditorium, the curtains are open and the set is dark and deep. Glimpses of a mysterious forest peek out from the wings, and the audience peer at the stage, already intrigued and inquisitive while taking their seats. Throughout the show this set comes to life in a variety of fantastic, magical, visual ways. Never have I seen depth, dark and light used so successfully on stage. The set design by Fly Davis, along with lighting by Paule Constable, come together to create a spellbinding backdrop, but also provides the perfect conditions for the ensemble cast and puppets to seemingly appear out of the depths of nowhere. It's expertly done.

The puppets are not of the Kermit the Frog nor Big Bird variety; rather they are delicate, intricate, eerie monsters. Supernatural beings that manage to be both ominous, but also hypnotic and beautiful. The puppets and the cast themselves move with fluidity, purpose, and a sort of otherworldly elegance. The choreography from beginning to end is simply stunning and really adds to the mystical atmosphere.

The fantasy elements, the illusions and striking visuals make for a magical piece of theatre, but there is a story of friendship and of growing up at the heart of the show.

"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 remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn't a pond, but an ocean – a place where everything is possible... Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them."

The book is described by Gaiman as ' not autobiographical' but at the same time there was a farmhouse, down a lane, that went past his house... and the stories that surround it and its occupants have been swirling in his head since he was 12 years old. He admits that 'Ocean' is his most personal story, and it does feel intimate and heartfelt.

Keir Ogilvy (Boy) and Millie Hikasa (Lettie Hempstock) are tremendous in the lead roles, guiding us from a seemingly ordinary farmhouse and duckpond, into the mystical world of The Edges. Playing fairly young children, they both bring a light enthusiasm to the characters. Authentic and likeable, watching their story unfold the audience must decide for themselves what is truth and what is fantasy. And that is the question we are left with: Can our childhood memories really be trusted?

All the cast are strong, but the success of this piece comes from the way they are directed, choreographed and rehearsed to perfection, working together to seamlessly move the set and props around, from doors, to tables and even themselves - the timing and coordination, the trust between every actor on stage is obvious and makes for a bewitching production.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a magical piece of theatre, performed flawlessly. If you want to see what can be achieved in theatrical production and design, this is it.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is suitable for ages 12+. 

Listings and Tickets

The Ocean at the End of the Lane plays the King's Theatre, Glasgow from Tues 29th August to Sat 2nd September 2023 , 7.30pm, Wed & Sat matinees 2.30pm

🎟️ Tickets: https://prf.hn/l/QxYZewN

About the National Theatre

The National Theatre’s mission is to make world-class theatre, for everyone. The NT creates and shares unforgettable stories with audiences across the UK and around the world. On its own stages, on tour, in schools, on cinema screens and streaming at home, it strives to be accessible, inclusive and sustainable. The National Theatre empowers artists and craftspeople to make world-leading work, investing in talent and developing new productions with a wide range of theatre companies at its New Work Department. Our nation thrives on fresh talent and new ideas, so the National Theatre works with young people and teachers right across the UK through performance, writing and technical programmes to ignite the creativity of the next generation. Together with communities, the NT creates ambitious works of participatory theatre in deep partnerships that unite theatres and local organisations – showing that nothing brings us together like theatre. The National Theatre needs your support to shape a bright, creative future.

🌟REVIEW: The Ocean at the End of the Lane (UK Tour, Glasgow) [National Theatre, Neil Gaiman]🌟

🎟️ Disclosure: I was invited to review this show, but as I already had tickets (purchased some time ago), I did not accept the gifted tickets. But I do work with ATG Glasgow to promote and support their shows. Whether I am invited or not has absolutely no impact on my reviews or star ratings.

🔗 Some links are affiliate links.

📸 Production photo credit: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

📧 For media and review requests contact [email protected]

💗 To see more pictures and watch my videos follow @Lisa_InTheTheatre on Instagram

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Boogie By The Sea boasts an a all-star lineup that guarantees a night of unforgettable performances. Headlining the event is none other than the iconic Billy Ocean, whose smooth vocals and timeless hits have made him a household name. Joining him are disco legends Sister Sledge, the soulful sounds of Soul II Soul, the captivating tunes of Boney M, and the dynamic energy of the Soul Boutique Collective. With each artist bringing their unique flavor to the stage, attendees are in for a night of pure musical magic.

Boogie By The Sea is a celebration of the rich tapestry of disco, funk, and soul music that has shaped generations. From the funky basslines of Sister Sledge to the soulful melodies of Soul II Soul, each performance will transport attendees back to a time when disco, funk & soul music reigned supreme.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Gary Wilson not on board with Tour Championship change ahead of debut

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Gary Wilson makes his Tour Championship debut on Monday but is not convinced it should be in the new 12-man format and his opponent agrees.

The tournament has been extended from eight to 12 players this season, with players ranked 5-12 on the one-year list starting in round one and the winners joining the top four in the quarter-finals.

It is certainly a messier format than previous years and is a step away from the neatness of 32 players qualifying for the World Grand Prix, 16 at the Players Championship and then eight at the Tour.

On the other side of the coin, snooker fans are being handed more matches and some brilliant ties in the first round, including Mark Allen taking on John Higgins and Wilson facing Mark Selby , but the Tyneside Terror is not on board with the changes.

The new format came after a surprise line-up last year saw the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Higgins, Neil Robertson and Mark Williams all miss out on the Tour Championship, with crowds in Hull struggling as a result.

The event is now in Manchester with an expanded field, helping to make sure the big names are involved, but Wilson is not convinced it was the right thing to do.

‘I don’t agree, to be honest,’ Wilson told Metro.co.uk . ‘I never did agree from the start. I think everyone’s come to the conclusion that it’s because big players missed out last season and they’ve tried to get them in this season.

‘I think that’s what it is, that’s how I see it. If that’s the case, you wonder why events are set up the way they’re set up. If players miss out they just change the format anyway. Events are set up to attract the top players, but if things don’t go to plan then things change so the top players still get to play in them.

‘It feels like any tournament, and we know this is a commercial world, but any tournament is there for the top players and if it doesn’t quite work out that way we’ll find a way to get you in anyway.

‘I don’t really agree with 12, I think it should stay at eight, it sounds and looks right. 32 [at the Grand Prix], 16 [Players Championship] and 8 for the last one, it’s added more complication and I don’t really know if it’s added any benefit yet.’

Wilson is number six on the one-year list so would have qualified in either format, but Selby at number 11 would have missed out in the old set-up.

However, the Jester from Leicester is also not sure the change was the right thing to do, despite arguing against himself.

‘I think 12 is not really here nor there,’ Selby told Metro.co.uk . ‘I think you either do eight or you do 16, but you can’t do 16 because that’s the Players Championship and it would be like another Masters, really.

‘I think it was good at eight and they should have kept it at eight. I know that would have meant me not getting in, but so be it. If I’m not in it that’s only because I’ve not been one of the eight best players this year.

‘With players having to win matches to get to play the top four, it defeats the object of what the tournament is, for me. ‘

Wilson, like most players, doesn’t have a great record against Selby but does hold a memorable victory over him at the World Championship in 2019.

However, the 38-year-old feels that is bordering on ancient history now and wants to create more recent positive memories against the four-time world champ.

‘He’s one of the toughest to play against and beat, he doesn’t give you anything,’ said Wilson of Selby. ‘You know you’ve got to play at a very good standard to have any chance, so it’s going to be tough.

‘That win was a few years ago, nearly five years ago now. At the time it was a very good win and I had a good run, but that is five years ago, time moves on quickly.

‘If that’s all I’m going to be remembered by in terms of Mark Selby, that’s not what I want. Great player, it’s going to be tough but if I can play anything like I know I can then I’ve got a chance.’

It’s been a fantastic season for Wilson, defending his Scottish Open title and winning the Welsh Open for the first time, which has booked his place at the Tour Championship and the top 16 for the Crucible.

It’s unquestionably the most successful period of his career, but it is fair to say he isn’t getting carried away.

‘I’m not feeling particularly anything, to be honest, I’m just treating this as just another tournament,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to sound boring but it’s just another tournament and I’m doing what I need to do as normal.

‘I never have got too excited. Maybe it’s because I think I’ve generally underachieved a bit. Generally when I turn up I know I’ve not performed to the level I’d like to, so you get to the point where you’re not going to get excited for anything.

‘You just turn up, try your best and see what happens. Obviously I am doing better lately, but I’m still not excited. Maybe that’s age, maybe that’s experience, but I just go into events, try as hard as I can and prepare as best I can. I don’t get excited by much these days, I don’t know whether that’s a good or a bad thing, it’s the way it is.

‘Nothing’s really changed that much enjoyment-wise, I’m on a plateau. I don’t really get excited for anything. It’s more like a job. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but at the same time I would like to enjoy things a lot more.

‘I’m doing alright with what I’ve got, I’m making the most of it, I don’t want to grumble. It would be lovely to go out and enjoy every occasion and every event, but it’s not realistic for me and I’ve learned to accept that.’

Wilson and Selby play their best-of-19 match over two sessions at 1pm on Monday and Tuesday this week.

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