ICW: Millie Hikasa, Daniel Cornish, and Kemi-Bo Jacobs, Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Ocean at the End of the Lane has been thrilling audiences across the UK for over a year now, from it’s stint at the Duke of York, it’s UK wide tour, and this week it finishes it’s return to the West End at the Noel Coward Theatre. I got to sit down with three of the cast and talk about this truly magical production that if you can, you will want to get down to before it wraps up performances on Saturday! Read/Listen below, and there’s a link at the end for you to get your tickets.

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

M: I’m Millie Hikasa and I play Lettie Hempstock

D: I’m Daniel Cornish and I play Boy Alternate

M: I’m Kemi-Bo Jacobs and I play Ginnie Hempstock, one of the families in the play, I am part of that family.

Brianna (TBP): Had you read the book before coming on board - how familiar were you with Neil Gaiman and his work and story style?

K: I didn't know much about - I knew about Neil’s work simply because I've seen things like Good Omens and various other TV series that he is attached to, Sandman more recently, I really enjoyed those. And Coraline obviously the film, but I didn't realise that those were either adaptations of books. So when I came onto this project, I was really surprised to find that there had been a book. Obviously, it's young adult fiction and I am not young I am an adult, so it’s not quite my (laughs) So after having booked the job, I think most of us took it upon ourselves to read the book. And just to see how the story had originally started, and how Katy and the team have adapted it to a stage production.

M: I hadn't read the book. In fact, the only reason I knew of it was because like, someone I knew was in the last version of the show at the Duke of York but I didn't really know anything about it. I'd always planned to go see it and I didn't get the chance to go see it. So I knew it from like, word of mouth and just hearing the title. But my dad knew and he was like, super excited. He was like, he's a massive, like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman fan, so he’s read all his stuff. So he was really excited. But yeah, I didn't know much about it. But then read got the script through, read the script, loved the script, went back, read the book, just loved it. It was in sort of reverse order.

D: I was pretty similar. Knew nothing, I knew that it had been on before. And that people loved it. Knew nothing about the story. And then, like you, read the script, and went, okay, this is interesting. And then obviously got the part, read the book. I was like, well this is incredible. I don’t know how they're going to do it but this is incredible.

B: Well this is exactly what I was going to say, when you were reading it, were you sort of like, how are you putting this on stage? Because when I read it, I was like, I can see it on TV, because you have CGI, you have all of that kind of special effects. How are they doing it on a stage?

K: Yeah, that is actually that's 100% what I felt when I read the play, because that was my first - that was my access point into this world was the play to begin with. And I remember thinking I've got no idea what's happening right now, but I love it. It was really exciting and totally different to anything I'd read before. And so it's funny, I think once I met the team, I had absolute faith in “this thing is going to work.” And obviously it had been produced, it had been at Dorfman and then it had come to the Duke of York in the West End. So it had been a play for a while and they knew what they were doing. Although this production is slightly different. I think they've had more time to heighten the production values, invest more time, maybe in things that they hadn't done in the earlier productions. I know from conversations that I feel that the production or the creative team feels like this is the best version in terms of what their vision was for the project originally, creatively. 

D: We had moments like that in rehearsals as well though. The creatives, because they've worked on it before, they sort of had this second language. And they’d describe what we were going to try to achieve and rehearsals. And we'd all sort of go “…yeah okay, okay!” and then actually you do it. And then when you get to the theatre and in tech, we sort of went, “Oh, yes, of course. That's that's how you do it.” It is just magic what we've achieved. And they’re so clever.

M: And also, I think also, because we, a few people had seen the show before, but I think a lot of us hadn't. So then like, a few people knew what to expect and all of us are going “what is going on?” Like my favourite bit in rehearsals was when they're like, “Right, you're gonna climb up the bush, and you're gonna fall off it” and I’m like “What are you talking about?” It’s just that there's just a stepladder. And you're like ohhh, okay, cool. 

B: It’s so well hidden as well. Because when I watched it, I was like, how…is she climbing that?

All: (Laughs)

M: It’s insane!

D: My friend did the same though when I told her I got the job, she went “You won't know what this means. But you need to tell me,” - and obviously I didn't but she says “You need to tell me how they do, how they achieve the doors.” And I went “…what?” Where now I’m like, yeah! Doors!

B: It's genius, how you guys have done some of this stuff like the bucket bit?!

M: I love the bucket bit so much. Like hats off to the creative team and the people that made the show because I don't think I could have ever imagined this, I say this to a lot of people I've never seen anything like this ever on stage. And I think that's what's so special about it. Because I think it's a show that you think, like you say, could only be done like by TV and like the power of editing or CGI, but I think that's why people love it so much is because you can see it. And it's like just there and you’re like “Oh my gosh”, it's the power of theatre, the power of magic that comes from it.

D: 100%. And audiences love it. I think that's what's so great about it is because you sort of you really have to give yourself over to the story and the magic in the show. And I think that's why the response has been so great is because actually, you get people in their 40s 50s 60s who were regulars at the theatre. And actually, they come in as those ages and actually in the audience they then become 10/11 again, they become a kid and I think it's rare.

B: Speaking of like taking people back, you guys obviously we have to buy into the idea that you guys are children for this to work. Clearly, you’re not so like how do you tap into that when you're creating the characters? What did you use as kind of inspiration? How did you find it? 

D: I think pinpointing, working out who the character was first, and what's important to him, but then I also think a key part of it was this dynamic between the two of us. I think a lot of what they do is, it's play. It's playtime. As adults, we don't really do that anymore. I mean, as actors we do, because we get paid to be silly. Yeah. So I think just trusting Millie in rehearsals and just going well, let's both give over to that. Yeah. Get rid of all that judgment and self-criticism that we have as adults.

M: Yeah, the little voice in your head. I think for Lettie it was interesting, because she's a 12 year old kid, but she’s not. She's 12, but she has like the mind and the knowledge of someone who's 1000s of years old. So that was, it was so nice to play that sort of juxtaposition, because you're like, okay, I can be this free kid, but have all this wealth of knowledge as well, but also not all knowing, like, OMH (Old Mrs Hempstock), but I think that was quite fun to play with, the freedom. And I think to tap into it for me anyway, to find that sort of essence in rehearsals was trying to find the like little characteristics you had when you were a kid, like whether that was the innocence of it, and the naivety of it, or the freedom that you had when you were playing like the floor is lava as a kid, or you're just like, imagining there was a world around you. So I think it was that, like mixed with having a friend that you'd always play with in the playground or something like that. I think it's the characteristics, the relationship, and this sort of, yeah, sort of just allowing yourself to be a child again. Because I don’t think any adult is ever, you've always got your inner child and you can always be that, there's always a part of you that is going to be that. So I think it was like trying to let that come out a bit more, and having not had that for a while it was quite nice. It's so nice to play. 

D: And also some of the stuff in the show is scary.

M: Terrifying!

B: Yes, it is!

D: Even 12 months in, you turn around and there’s this flea behind you, even now I forget how big it is.

M: It’s huge, so when it starts coming at you it’s like (sound of fear)

D: So some of this stuff is actually our own reaction.

M: We are scared. 

B: No it so is. I brought a friend to press night and we were looking around like, okay it can’t be too scary because there’s kids here. And then (Spoiler) face starts coming out of the flea and I’m like oh my god I’m going to have nightmares.

M: Oh, yeah, that is terrifying that bit isn’t it. 

D: It is. I always do a little - when I see it coming, I turn my head out to the audience. And it's amazing because you just see all these faces just go (makes grimacing face)

B: What's your favourite scene to be a part of and then what's your favourite scene to watch from offstage?

K: To be part of I think one of the scenes that I really enjoy, I think, is when it's a whole family. The Hempstock’s,  it's a family of matriarchs, women, really. And there's the opening scene - I won't say too much - but when we first meet the boy. And there's this lovely kind of shorthand and comfortability that this family has with each other. And I really enjoy as I've spent time with the actors, and with these characters just sitting in that and it feels as though you know, I'm at home. It really does. To watch, there's so many lovely moments in it. You've got high drama, you've got, you know, verging on horror, because some of it's quite scary. But for me, one of the moments that I always find really touching is - it’s a tiny moment - it’s just when Boy and Dad have an exchange at the end. It's a physical moment - actually, Dad does have a few lines. But it just feels as though the whole journey that the Boy has been on - it’s just very moving that he's been on this huge journey and his father doesn't really know what he's experienced. And there's this reconciliation between them. And I think with family, sometimes it isn't verbal. It can just be a physical, and everything is forgotten and forgiven and understood. And I found that moment very moving.

M: So on stage, my absolute favourite scene to do is the scene we call ocean puppets. And I think it goes back to that thing of being a child again, like it's, I describe it as like the eye of the hurricane of the story within the play. And I won't say too much more, but it feels as though like, it's the first time as the Boy and Lettie, we just get to fully play and fully just like be kids, and like run around the stage with smaller versions of ourselves. And just enjoy that moment. And I think it's just such a beautiful moment where there's so much happening and it's just that moment of stillness in between in the show. 

B: That's my favourite bit of the whole show. I got actual chills, it was so beautiful.

D: I think because you hear it referenced a lot - the ocean, my ocean. It’s like

M: When's the ocean? 

D: Will we ever see the ocean and then you’re just submerged in it and it’s like “Wow, that’s exactly what it is.” My favourite moment, I love fairy ring. 

M: Yeah, that is fun. 

D: I think that's the moment of growing up he has to do And also they're quite hard-hitting scenes and you get to do them along with Laurie, you and Trevor, who are just fantastic actors. It's just a great bit, that's my favourite bit.

M: It’s really cool. The bit I love watching offstage. And to be fair before being here, like on tour being in different parts of the theatre, I love - I loved being backstage when the escape was going on. Because you just see all of the mnemonics who basically set the atmosphere, do all the movement, do all the puppets do everything in the show, just run around, do all the bits like they are a phenomenal group of people. And I - watching them do their thing whilst you're like running around the stage as well? It's just, it's like a colony of ants just running around the stage like in complete tandem with each other. It's incredible to watch.

D: And in pitchblack.

M: And in pitchblack! With some strobe lighting happening at the same time. Oh my God, these people are incredible. I love watching them do their thing.

D: Because there are two of us, I’ve been lucky enough to watch it. I mean, the door sequence is amazing and being part of the audience when that goes on as well. Especially when you know what happens.

B: There's so many lines in this, I think that are brilliant, and you could almost say that one line, and it sums up the entire show. Is there one that stands out for you as like capturing the essence of the show?

K: I feel as though the brilliant thing about this show is there is multi-genre things happening in it, as we just touched on. It's profound. It's shocking. It's scary. But I think one of the lines that always sticks with me, and I'm in the scene that it's in, but it always has - I always hear it afresh every night is a line that Old Mrs Hempstock delivers, which is “you can't pass or fail at being a human.” And I think that's a universal truth. And we're all just trying to do our best and yeah, yeah, I think that resonates with people. 

D: OMH says that fantastic line “you don’t pass or fail at being a human love.” and I think it just sums up what the show is, everybody is human. 

M: I think mine is “What makes you who you are? Your face or what do you do, or what you've done by the end” - what’s the rest of my line? It’s my line and I don’t even remember the rest of my line! 

D: How you’re remembered when you’re gone. 

M: How you’re remembered when you're gone. 

D+M: A nonsense that anything looks the way it really is! 

M: I think that's probably my favourite line because it's so true. It's so true. Your face doesn’t make you who you are, it’s who you are as a person. I love it, it’s so profound.

B: What's your kind of process of approaching a new character? Do you have a kind of a set thing that you're like, Okay, I'm gonna make a playlist to kind of figure out their ideas, or is it different for each character.

K: I mean, there's fundamental things you do that you have in your toolkit that you do as an actor. But I do believe that for each process, it's different. Because I think you have to allow, it's important to allow yourself to arrive at or discover the character in a different way. Because each company is different, your creative team, the material, you know, who you're working with. And then the script is always to me, that's the most important place to be. I will always think of myself as being like in an excavation, you're looking for clues within the script about who this person is. And you might want to kind of in your head you might be like, “Well, I think that this person would do that.” But iff there's no evidence for it, then you can't necessarily justify that. And you might be barking up the wrong tree. So really, it's always a script for me. And in this case, we had the book but that wasn't necessarily useful, because this is a version of something else and we had to base it on what was in the play. So yeah, always the script. And we're lucky you know, we get to work in theatre, you get amazing costumes and in my case, wigs, and you grow into those things, and the character becomes more and more vivid and more three dimensional. And, you know, it can impact the way you move, often, how you breathe, and all of those things are things that you need to consider in terms of trying to find a character but in terms of process, it's who is the character? What did the play tell me? What are the clues, what's said about them? What are their interests, all of those things? And I think that's the best, for me, that's the most important part of any process.

M: I think it differs. I think, “trust the process” that’s always what I get told, trust the process, which is true, you do trust the process. I think, I don't know every time I've approached a character, I just read it first. I read it like, I read the script like three or four times and try to get the essence of the character. And then from there, like you pick the characteristics that, well I pick the characteristics that work, and then sort of like physicalise them. And just try and sort of embody the character, take what's in the text, play with it, and then start adding your sprinkles and obviously take the notes from everywhere else. That’s sort of my approach, I'm quite free, actually, when it comes to approaching characters because I don't ever want to go into a process thinking that I know it. I don't want to go in going “I think I know this character.”

D: I always try to find things that I share with the character. And actually, I think finding - I think it makes it easier for you then to access this other person. Charlie, I always love listening to Charlie talk about how she approaches the character because a lot of times she plays the baddie. And she goes, “I know she comes across as the baddie. But deep down, there's something she wants, something human that she wants.”

M:  A very good acting tutor of mine at drama school would never - even if you are playing the baddie, it doesn't matter what character - he was always like, you've got to find the three good things about the character. And use those because you never look at the character, or never look at someone and go you are bad. You can't put your judgment on the character before you've played it. So you've got to like embody that and not judge the character for who they are face value on the paper.

B: That's such good advice. 

M: Great advice. 

B: But also just for life.

M: Also that too. It’s just great advice. 

D: No one is inherently bad. 

M: So Marcus Ellard. You're a legend. Yeah, so yeah, I swear by that one. Three good things. And one thing they can improve on.

B: This production has been touring since December last year, so coming up on a year now. What has been the most surprising audience reaction that you've seen in that time?

M: What makes this story so special is it's so universal. It's so universal.

D: Like, you could see it, seven, eight shows a week, and each show, you take something different from it, you could see it 10, 20 years apart, I reckon something else would resonate and hit differently with you. We had, I can’t remember where it was, but we had three generations, a granddad, a dad, and a son were in and we saw them afterwards, and they both well all three of them, loved it, and were taken aback by it, but just hearing the different things that each of them connected with, that was quite nice.

K: We’ve had a few fainters. 

B: Have you really! 

K: Yeah, but I mean, I think that happens at all theatres not just this play. I think touring is interesting because you know, you go into many of these places that you've never been to before and often you're engaging with communities that maybe feel slightly left behind and so taking a production like this to somewhere like, for example, Stoke, or post-industrial places that haven't got huge amounts access to culture in them, and getting a busload of school kids coming in. And typical 14-16 year olds, probably don't want to be there and trying to impress their friends, do anything but enjoy this, what might be a very uncomfortable experience, often they’ve never been to a theatre, their perception of that space might be that it isn't for them. To hear that, an audience like that as I've described, come in, and be a little bit uncomfortable a bit, maybe rowdy the beginning, but to be captivated by this play. And to hear every moment within it that is both kind of profound, for them to be open to the really vulnerable moments and not to laugh and feel comfortable, to be totally with the story. And to find, you know, to engage with the bits of humour, to have a really - yeah to be completely captivated. And at the end, you know, to receive the biggest round of applause from them, and be screaming and yelping because they've really been entertained, we've really transported them. And to know that potentially, within that audience, there are people there that day, who may never have been before, but suddenly think actually, maybe theatre or that space is for me, I’ll go again. I think those are the audiences that really left an impact on me because you go “there is real value in what we do.” When you're doing a play for, 400 shows there comes a point where you go, you maybe don't value it as much as you just should, just because that's the nature of the job. Right. So, again, it's really moments like that reinforce or reinstate one of the reasons why we do this. And so yeah, those audiences, those are just amazing, these young people. Yeah, they were just brilliant.

B: I was gonna ask you what you think the power of the arts are. But I feel like you've already answered what the power of the arts are just in that whole statement like that is you could have literally changed lives, there could be people in there that never would have thought that they could, perhaps do what you guys do. 

K: I think what's brilliant about it is that those young audiences may have gone back and they've seen - without saying too much about the play - there's issues within that play that might be going on in their homes, or that they may later on in life, you know, experience themselves. And so, what we do is, I think what theatre does brilliantly, is it creates a world which fortifies,  it creates an unreal, an imagined world that fortifies people for the outside world, it gives you the strength, the intelligence, the intellect, experience, to be able to kind of cope with things that are happening in your own life.

B: And finally, can you give people an idea of what they can expect if they come down and see the Ocean at the End of the Lane?

D: Because there is nothing like this in London at the minute. There will never be anything like this in London ever. It’s for everybody regardless of gender, race, age, sexuality, political views. You don't want to miss it.

M: It's magical. It's a magic story at heart. I think everyone will come away relating to it. I think it's a thing of pure beauty. 

K: Look, I think you can definitely without doubt, expect to see something that you've never seen before. You can expect to be wowed. To be moved. And to be transported. It's a really escapist piece. And I would hope that the overall feeling that people leave with, well most people leave smiling. 

Ocean at the End of the Lane is playing at the Noel Coward Theatre until November 25th. Tickets available here.