Never Let Me Go at Malvern Theatres- Review

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Tue 29 Oct 2024 - Sat 02 Nov 2024

As someone who was gripped by Kazuo Ishiguro's intricate novel Never Let Me Go, I was equally excited and anxious over how this new theatre production would pan out. Yet behind this adaptation is a lead writer from BBC's Killing Eve, Suzanne Heathcote.

I caught Never Let Me Go at Malvern Theatres , where it stays for a week until Saturday, November 2 as part of a UK tour. It continues on to Bristol Old Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre in November.

Heathcote was brought in for this Rose Original Production with Bristol Old Vic, Malvern Theatres and Royal & Derngate Northampton and makes it feel set in current times and not some dystopian future.

It may not be as bloody as Killing Eve but it's got that same refreshing style that keeps you gripped.



Those unfamiliar with the novel, or film starring Keira Knightley, may feel slightly confused in the early part of the play when it constantly flashes back and forwards in time. 'Carer' Kathy recounts her childhood at the renowned Hailsham School to the patient she's looking after as schoolchild characters come hurtling through swing doors around the stage.

Ferociously and loudly, the memories are played out with Kathy dropping between the past and present. Here we meet her friends Tommy and Ruth at the same boarding school, who will remain in her life as they navigate teenage years, love and what life has in store for them.

Not quite as subtle as the book, the realization of what is happening and who they are gradually unfolds in this thought-provoking tale about a time when humans can be cloned.



Thankfully, this new version manages to keep the same tension and unease as the novel, posing questions on what it means to be human.

The action never loses its momentum partly because of a continuation tool. The last line of each scene is the first line of the next scene, so they kind of overlap. It's a little contrived but it does work well.

It's been carefully thought out for stage as Never Let Me Go is a complex and acclaimed piece of literature that fans will not thank the creative team for messing with if they do it badly. Some aspects have been changed to help with the storytelling process but it's true to the book for the most part.



There's a fine cast who stay in the same roles playing children all the way through to young adults. Nell Barlow as Kathy is the gel between everyone and is constantly at the heart of every scene. She's the highlight of this show and a name to watch for the future.

Barlow is already an award-winner as her lead role in the independent film Sweetheart earned her the BAFTA Breakthrough Award in 2022 along with the Breakthrough Performance Award at the 2021 BIFAs

There's strong support from Matilda Bailes as Ruth and Angus Imrie as Tommy, who is the son of acclaimed actress Celia Imrie.

This new stage version of Never Let Me Go is beautifully adapted with all the suspense, poignancy and intensity of the novel. It will leave a lasting impression long after you leave the theatre.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars


Visit Malvern Theatres website here for tickets for Never Let Me Go, which runs until Saturday, November 2, 2024, in Malvern.

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