THE TIME TRAVELLER'S WIFE THE MUSICAL - REVIEW

This week, I caught one of the performances of ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’ at the Apollo Theatre before its closure yesterday (Saturday 24th February) and although this review cannot persuade you to get tickets any longer - I still thought it was worth expressing my thoughts on this piece as I always like to do so!

I went into this production, having not read the book, or seen the film - and therefore I knew nothing (with the exception of a number of the songs that I had listened to on the show’s cast recording). This gave me a unique experience of the show, with this being my first ever time being told the story of ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’ and connecting with these characters.

I thought the concept of the show was beautifully displayed on the stage, the design by Anna Fleischle is absolutely stunning and it holds a lot of the show’s heart - making it a true ‘masterpiece’. The illustrations and other projections through the show were a stroke of genius as were the many effects. The amount of times I audibly gasped when David Hunter vanished from plain sight within a split second could not be counted on one hand. 

The music for this new musical adaptation of ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’ is written by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart with additional lyrics from Kait Kerrigan. There are plenty of bangers throughout this score, particular favourites of mine being ‘Journeyman’, ‘Damn Fool Love’ and ‘Masterpiece’, as well as so many of the other numbers in the show. It has a lovely feel to it and each song matches the genre perfectly, showcasing the powerful songwriting duo that Stone and Stewart are!

The cast performances for this show were wonderful.

David Hunter plays the role of ‘Henry’, a man who cannot control his ability to time travel and has to face the challenges this brings to his life. Hunter is a master of his craft in everything he does and the role of ‘Henry’ in The Time Traveller’s wife proves no exception. Hunter plays emotions more truthfully than I have seen a performer do in such a long time. His outstanding vocal talent really shines through in the score and his performance of ‘Journeyman’ was such an inspiring and exciting moment within the show for me - my jaw was dropped for the full number. Another shoutout goes to David Hunter (and the costume team!!) for the speediest quick changes, and the craziest amount of them throughout the show! 

Joanna Woodward excels in the role of ‘Clare’. Woodward gives an honest and heart wrenching performance in this role dealing with some strong emotions with passion and feeling as well as some total powerhouse vocals, Woodward makes the character of ‘Clare’ so loveable and real which from an audience perspective is beautiful.

Tim Mahendran and Hiba Elchikhe give standout performances as Gomez and Charisse respectively. Both bring great aspects of both heart and comedy to their characters. Mahendran is hilarious with skillful comedic delivery and Elchikhe is such a joy to watch on the stage. The pair make a wonderful duo and have large amounts of chemistry on the stage that you just can’t help but smile at. 

I caught Lily Hanna in their last performance in the show, in the roles of Young Clare/Alba. Hanna gives a delightful and mature performance well beyond her years and in the final few scenes there was not a dry eye in the house!

This musical is fantastic for a wide audience, from those who know the book and film, to Musical Theatre fans who don’t. It is a powerful, exciting and exhilarating story that left me wiping away tears as I gave a standing ovation along with the rest of the audience - whooping and cheering in awe of the ‘masterpiece’ we had all experienced together.

Unfortunately I cannot urge you to see this one, as it has now closed in the West End, but I have everything crossed for further productions of this (perhaps a UK Tour?) and I will then continue to shout from the rooftops about this awesome new musical!

25th February 2024

Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants