Showing @ King’s Theatre until 9th October
Tender, compassionate, wise and witty, if, as the autumn winds blow in, you’re starting to feel a chill on your cockles then Carrie’s War at the Kings is the very thing to warm them.
Nina Bawden’s classic, Welsh set, evacuee novel which has gone on to become a school text has been sympathetically adapted by Emma Reeves and Andrew Loudon’s direction alongside Edward Lipscomb’s wonderful set mean that all the magic of the novel is retained on stage.
Adults playing children is always tricky however Sarah Edwardson as Carrie did well with her character and was particularly impressive in those moments where the girl burgeoning into womanhood was on display. James Byng as Nick captured the grumpiness of small boys perfectly, only occasionally falling into Jimmy Krankie territory. Of the adult characters Hannah Waterman was a superb as kindly put-upon Auntie Lou and the slow shaking off of her brother’s tyranny was a joy to watch.
The simple moral of the tale about families being about choices not blood, summed up by Mrs Gotobed’s line “sometimes you owe more to others” is never beaten into the audience but they leave the theatre with it anyway. If you’re looking for that warm glow on a cold night this simple, beautifully put together production is for you.