The Time Traveller's Wife

Show Review: 
Audrey Niffenegger’s novel is perhaps one of the hardest time-travel stories to adapt to a live setting, yet it has become a film, a TV series and now a musical.  I’ve seen them all, of the three I feel the musical makes the strongest fist of rendering live.

It does borrow some good ideas (the simple projecting of text, for example “Clare is 20, Henry is 24” lets us know where we are in this non-linear timeline) from the TV series.  But this is it’s own production, make no mistake.

If you don’t know the story, Henry has a genetic quirk that has him slip through time.  There are certain triggers, sometimes it’s just random. But there is an anchor; initially his mother, later Clare, who he first meets when she is young, slipping into her (linear) timeline as younger and older versions of himself.

Our story really begins when Clare (20) enters a library to do research and is referred to Henry (24), who hasn’t met her yet, but Clare has known him her entire life…

The score is clever; it deliberately (we’re talking Dave Stewart and Joss Stone here; two songwriters of this skill aren’t doing this by accident) has strong numbers throughout, but not one dominating showstopper; given the time-slipping nature of the narrative, things need to remain on an even keel musically.

The set?  It’s amazing.  Using rectangular blocks on a double-revolve stage, by adding the occasional panel or prop it morphs into meadows, apartments, restaurants, Doctor’s offices, libraries seamlessly.  

The lighting is spot on.  Raising or lowering tone evokes sunny meadows, stormy city streets and much more. And the aforementioned text projections quickly anchor us in place so simply yet effectively.  And sound, lighting and amazing effects all come into play when Henry time-slips.  Especially the first time - there were gasps of amazement from the audience - as he disappeared, Clare left holding his coat, right in front of our eyes.

Talking costume, costume and hair combine nicely to lock us firmly into the Eighties timeline where the bulk of this show happens.

But none of this works unless the cast can take hold of a difficult storyline to relate and make it feel real.  And they do so with aplomb.  The always reliable David Hunter is Henry; he has to move from young and arrogant to older and sensitive to somewhere in the middle (in one notable scene he has to change age, attitude and look within a couple of minutes… and is seemingly on stage in two places at once!).  That he pulls it off is testament to his acting and singing, as well as his conditioning and stamina!

Much kudos goes to Tim Mahendran as Gomez and Hiba Elhickhe as Charisse, Clare’s lifelong friends and support mechanism.  They create much of the humour and play off one another beautifully.  And Ross Dawes and Sorrel Marsh as Henry’s parents are warm, charming… with Dawes figuring longer in Henry’s story to portray a man broken by fate with conviction.

But the anchor of this story is Clare (this is, after all, The Time Traveller’s WIFE).  And Joanna Woodward shines.  She is both in need of support yet supportive when Henry requires.  She has to move from excited at first meeting to broken when an awful wrong is committed (she and David play this so powerfully), through happiness, despair, acceptance and to being the bedrock on which the relationship (and family) depend.  And she segues from one to the other with utter conviction.  

My wife Laura and I have been big fans since seeing Joanna in a small role in ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ through a range of other parts, to understudying the lead in two of the biggest female leads of recent years (Carole King in Beautiful and Vivan in Pretty Woman). All of this paved the way for her to take the lead in her own right; She gives it her considerable all.  

But Clare couldn’t be Clare without seeing her early years, played with maturity for one so young by Holly-Jade Roberts.  She is one to watch for the future (pun intended).

This is a spectacular show with amazing effects brought to life by a superb cast.  Do yourself a favour and book tickets yesterday.

Seat Review: Stalls M10 and 11
Nicely central, close enough to pick up every expression yet far enough back to take in the stage. Decent leg room, comfortable enough that few fidgets were had. Perhaps a bit narrow, but not too bad. Sound is good from these seats. Rake is OK, but when the people in front sat down, my wife (5ft ½ inch) and I (5ft 10) had to swap seats to give her the best chance of seeing the stage!  But overall (as long as Marge Simpson doesn’t sit in front) these are good seats to choose.

Bob Pickett.
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I popped in to see TTW last night (3rd November 2023) - they've taken out rows A and B in the Stalls. They've installed a high stage (for the revolve). Row C seems to be discounted - and rightly, because it's actually quite uncomfortable to look up for that long (although you get lots of legroom). Felt sorry for row D which may well be full price and have a similar problem!