Review: HEX at the National Theatre

So is HEX a bewitching spectacle? In truth, irrespective of the superficial pleasures inherent in this piece of hokum and buffoonery, like;Sleeping Beauty herself, the offering's disjointed and irksome personality presents a largely unlovable, hit and miss affair.

There had been an outcry of nepotism when Norris employed his wife Tanya Ronder (on whose book the yarn is based) but he then seemed to pour oil on the flames when he gave himself additional writing credits as lyricist and co-conspirator of the musical's original concept on top of his role as director. He has no-one to blame but himself therefore, when the end result feels ill-conceived and a disappointingly insubstantial offering for such a major national venue.

Many of those contributing their onstage talents have commendable CVs and the skills to lift even the most questionable material, but here perhaps Norris's own ego has been his downfall. Penning a musical with one's wife is perhaps an applaudable way in which to break the tedium of lockdown. However, a director with neither the wit nor requisite wordplay skills to mark himself as a contender to replace Stephen Sondheim, should perhaps have resisted the urge to use his professional platform to present writing skills of such dubious quality. During the interval, this reviewer found himself pondering where the delusion could possibly have originated in Rufus Norris's mind. Frankly some lyrics are abysmally trite, not helped by the variously crammed/lax adherence to music meter evident throughout the show (where music has been contributed by Jim Fortune).

Most characters are insufficiently fleshed to give anything but the most trivial insight into a life lived, however a couple of performers delivered notable, stand-out quality worthy of mention. Firstly, Irish singer/actress Lisa Lambe as the forlorn wingless Fairy, is mocked and disparaged by virtually everyone with whom she shares the stage, yet conveys an earnestness and ethereal quality superior to all, with sharp comedy timing and a vocal tone at times reminiscent of Kate Bush blended with Stevie Nicks.

At the other end of the spectrum, Michael Elcock's crowd pleasingly rambunctious turn as Bert, enables the company members to strut their stuff to Jade Hackett's choreography (and mug unremittingly to encourage much needed audience laughter). Katrina Lindsay's set is hardly her best work and appeared lost in the enormous Olivier space and something of a half-hearted effort in helping to convey the story’s supposedly fantasy elements.

Certainly there's middle-of-the-road, untaxing entertainment here, but it is not tight, clever, significant, noteworthy or especially magical, which is perhaps the greatest disappointment given the subject, the stage and the time taken to deliver the production.