Hex review: Splashy spectacle and sets, but it’s all a bit of a jumble | Theatre | Entertainment
Written by the theatre’s Artistic Director Rufus Norris and his wife, Tanya Ronder, it is a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty, though hints of other fairy tales (Hansel & Gretel, Snow White) seem to have crept in.
The first half is pretty innocuous with three posh shimmering fairies descending to give the low Fairy (Lisa Lambe, more punk than Puck) a chance to earn her wings by helping out with the sleepless Princess Rose (Rosie Graham) and her royal family.
Accidentally cursing everyone with a sleeping spell, Fairy spends the rest of the show trying to undo it.
The second half is Gilliam gruesome, though Victoria Hamilton-Barritt goes beyond the call of duty as Queenie, the female Ogre.
In spite of the splashy spectacle and sets, it’s all a bit of a jumble. The user-unfriendly songs don’t help a bit.
Hex at the National Theatre until January 14 2023 Tickets: 020 3989 5455
