Hetty Feather
5 stars
Duke of York Theatre
7 August 2015
They say that the secret to writing well for children is to ignore that you’re writing for kids and try and write a great story instead. Kids hate feeling patronised; the best children’s tales embraces the darkness of human existence just as much as the sunshine (Bambi, Up, Toy Story etc).
Jacqueline Wilson is a master of this art and her popular book Hetty Feather is now thriving on the stage. After an immensely successful and Olivier-nominated tour last year, the production is now on the West End before continuing its journey around the UK.
Hetty, a 19th century orphan, enjoys a happy upbringing in a foster home until she is snatched away to attend the scary and sinister Foundling Hospital. Having lost both her real mother and her foster mother, Hetty (Phoebe Thomas) tries to use her imagination and her love of the circus to give her the inspiration she needs to escape.
This escapism is physical as well as mental. The incredible set literally provides another dimension (namely upwards!) through its use of ladders, trapeze rings and ropes. These are brilliantly used to create a childlike feeling of wonder, as well as giving a symbolic device for the characters to express themselves. A balletic trapeze section at the end of the second half was exceptionally well done, conveying the trials and tribulations of love without saying a word.
Wilson’s story is beautiful and touching and yet also surprisingly dark in places. It deals with conceptions of death, homelessness and parenthood in a mature yet heartfelt way. This is most pronounced in the Hospital, a shadow that hangs over most of the first half. It turns out to be exactly as grim as expected, a miserable prison ruled over by the sad*stic Matron Bottomly (Matt Costain). It’s to the play’s credit that it skillfully resists a sickly and sweet fairytale ending; the message seems to be ‘life is tough, so do the best you can’.
The cast is wonderfulin what is actually an incredibly complex and multi-layered production. A fairly small group takes on six or seven parts each, all encompassing a variety of different accents. As well as acting their socks off as both children and adults, they are also called upon to show their circus skills, sing and often play instruments. It’s a superb team effort; they’re all on stage (or in the air!) for almost the entire production and they never let the energy drop, whilst still managing to deliver subtle and entertaining performances.
Phoebe Thomas is a perky and spirited Hetty, capturing her soaring ambition but also her vulnerability and distaste for authority. Wilson said that she looks like the perfect Hetty and you can see why; her slight frame and red hair make her thoroughly believable and she carries the production with panache. My stand-out performance was Mark Kane; adorably sweet as the innocent Gideon but also comically evil as one of Hetty’s adversaries. Kane has a wonderful gift for humour but also for portraying heartbreaking levels of sadness; a brilliant performance all round.
Also thriving with his ‘good cop, bad cop’ casting was Matt Costain. He doubles up as both Hetty’s kind-hearted sibling Jem and the Miss Trunchbull-like Matron Bottomly. He excels in both roles and also shows a real flair for the aerial and trapeze work. The rest of the cast all perform admirably in what must be an exhausting show to take part in, especially when you’re performing two shows a day.
The staging from prolific director Sally Cookson is permanently inventive; Hetty often gets in trouble for ‘picturing’ (or dreaming) and there’s a dreamlike quality to much of the action. The slightly amateur feel to the props and costume changes, as well as the fantastical nature of the script means the whole show really does feel like the product of a child’s imagination. This is backed up by a fantastic soundtrack from Benji Bower and is brought to life by two highly talented musicians, Luke Potter and Seamus Carey, who came out for a charming sing-song beforehand.
Hetty Feather is a triumph - although it’s ostensibly for children, it’s a touching and absorbing tale for all ages. It combines multiple artistic elements to fantastic effect and manages to be funny, uplifting and sad, sometimes all in the same scene. And if anyone asks, I wasn’t crying, there was something in my eye…
Hetty Feather runs until 6 September 2015 at the Duke Of York's Theatre
