The Ballad of Hattie and James, Kiln Theatre Review
Reviewed by Philip for Theatre and Tonic.
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Traversing through life, Hattie and James are inexplicably intertwined. Through shared experiences and their love of music they move like ships in the night. Samuel Adamson’s The Ballad of Hattie and James is primarily a story of friendship and how moments in your adolescence shape the rest of your life.
Adamson’s tale flits across many different timelines and many different moments of interactions between Hattie and James. There is humour a plenty juxtaposed with utter heartbreak. The writing is witty and cutting but does move along at speed. The play focuses on themes of friendship, loss and a shared love of music. There were other themes that were touched upon which made the piece feel somewhat cluttered in places. It could benefit by a few fewer words and a chance for the characters to catch their breath. It felt as though there was a lot of dialogue but possibly lacked a little heart. I wanted to feel more by what was left unspoken. Music is an intrinsic part of the plot and was cleverly used to further the story but also to break up the dialogue. The music by Nicola T. Chang and David Shrubsole was beautiful. It helped breathe life into the story and gave us moments of to sit and feel and ultimately be transported.
Richard Twyman is at the helm as director. He used a revolving stage to his advantage. As the moments come and go as do the performers and the props. You always knew when the story was set to move on. The staging was effective and uncomplicated. It worked especially well when showing the passage of time.
The cast was led brilliantly by Charles Edwards as James and Sophie Thompson as Hattie - they barely leave the stage. Edwards is awkward and aloof as James conveying his shy and clumsy personality mixed with his musical genius. He plays well with Thompson who plays Hattie with warmth and energy and in the younger years with a real child-like wonder. She is a marvel. She radiates energy. You cannot help but fall in love with her. You can feel a fractured chemistry between them as characters and this takes real skill. To develop a chemistry and to make it appear fractious is no mean feat.
They are joined by Suzette Llewellyn who multi roles a variety of characters. She takes each character and fully embodies them. Changing voice and physicality as well as costume, Llewellyn delivers a masterclass on character. She expertly adds to a scene while never overshadowing the action.
Designer Jon Bausor creates a simple yet elegant set of a revolving stage and a hanging piece of glass that allow for the action to take precedence. Along with the sound design by Pete Malkin and lighting design by Simisola Majekodunmi, you are taken to each moment in time. There are no gimmicks. They purely aid the storytelling.
I wanted to come away blown away by this tale of friendship told over many moments but left feeling something was missing. For me I feel like there was quite a lot being said and not enough being left to discover. Having said that, it is definitely worth a look!
The Ballad of Hattie and James runs at the Kiln Theatre until 18th May 2024
★ ★ ★ .5
