A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 6m
Adapted from Neil Gaiman’s bestselling novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a thrilling feat of storytelling in which fantasy, sci-fi, myth and imagination combine in an adventure that unfolds right here, in our world.
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Cast Size
5w, 6m -
Duration
More than 120 minutes (2 hours) -
Subgenre
Fantasy -
Target Audience
Adult, Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Details
Summary
Returning to his childhood home, a man finds himself standing beside the pond of the old Sussex farmhouse where he used to play. When he meets an old friend, he is reminded of a name he has not heard for many years: Lettie Hempstock. And is transported to his 12th birthday, when Lettie claimed that this wasn't a pond at all, but an ocean...
Plunged into 1983, our young protagonist struggles with the ripples of a disturbing event that makes him question his deepest assumptions about his fractured family. Striving to come to terms with his newly unknowable world, together with his new friend Lettie he must reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything and in turn learn to trust others to find his own feet. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a thrilling feat of storytelling in which fantasy, sci-fi, myth and imagination combine in an adventure that unfolds right here, in our world.
History
Performing Groups
- Time Period Present Day, 1980s
- Setting 1983 and now-ish.
- Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes, Period Costumes
- Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Media
“Theatre at its gob-smacking best.” – The Times
“Joel Horwood’s adaptation presses home a deeper terror of the violence unleashed in a bereaved family that is just trying to survive...this is a genuine rarity – a show that enthrals all generations without patronising any.” – The Guardian
“It’s a lovely, heartfelt show with a surging narrative thrust, a macabre undertow and some brilliantly evoked, seriously scary monsters. I was captivated.” – Evening Standard
“A thunderous, sometimes terrifying adaptation.” – The Independent
“Shows like this don’t come along very often... I could swim in its twilight waters for longer.” – Time Out
ON BREAKING CHARACTER
The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Conversation with Playwright Joel Horwood
2 December 2022
Videos
West End: The Ocean at the End of the Lane: Official Trailer
Licensing & Materials
- Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
This title is not currently available for performance. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application.