The Time Traveller's Wife
"Breaking new ground in the West End"
Based on the 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger about a woman who falls in love with a time traveller, this musical is breaking new ground in the West End.
This is a love story between an artist Claire (Joanna Woodward) and Librarian Henry (David Hunter), but Henry is genetically different and travels through time with no control over when it happens or where he ends up. The timeline is chaotic and we flit back and forth throughout their lives, with meetings taking place in meadows, Thai restaurants and highways. At times the writing feels slow and in an already confusing story it feels a bit disjointed through the first act, although things seem to come together more clearly in act 2 and pace picks up significantly.
Joanna Woodward really is the star of this show, she has some huge sings and executes them perfectly. ‘I’m in Control’ being the standout song of the evening, showing the true female power and strength in the character of Claire. She also brings a beautiful softness, especially towards the end of the show when dealing with recent grief and loss.
Henry is played by David Hunter, his pairing with Joanna is wonderful casting. They work well together and their voices blend beautifully when singing together. This show feels like a bit of a marathon for David, the quick changes and time travel effects are fast! The act 2 opening song 'Journeyman' really shows off David’s vocal talents, as well as the best use of the video projections with choreography from Shelly Maxwell this is the perfect sequence and is very impactful visually.
Hiba Elchikhe and Tim Mahendran are wonderful as Charisse and Gomez, childhood friends of Claire. They make a perfect pairing each bringing a sense of warmth and comfort to the show.
The set design is very inventive and makes clever us of a revolve. We easily transition from place to place, year to year, timeline to timeline. The use of projections aids the setting of each scene also, beautifully designed in a sketch style you feel you are within the diary that Claire keeps of her times with Henry.
The special effects are the most incredible thing about this show, with David Hunter at times seeming to appear on stage from nowhere to gasps from the audience. Though not all transitions are as showy and the projections are relied upon on several occasions to show that time travel has taken place, the overall effect is clever and you are left trying to work out how they pulled it off.
With some tightening in the script and improvement on the pacing in act 1 this show could be outstanding. It’s an enjoyable show with some wonderful songs mixed in throughout.
This show was reviewed on the 2nd November 2023. The Time Traveller's Wife runs at the Apollo Theatre, London until the 30th March 2024. Tickets available here: The Time Traveller's Wife | A New Musical | Official Website (timetravellerswife.com)
Review written by Rosie Browne
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