BWW REPORTS: Preview Of THE LIGHT PRINCESS, National Theatre, September 28 2013

Our reporter Natalie O'Donoghue travels down from Scotland to catch one of the first performances of the long-awaited The Light Princess, a new musical based on the George MacDonald fairytale with music written by Tori Amos.

As a huge Amos fan, the music was what really excited me about the show.

I saw The Light Princess during the first week of previews and I have heard there have been some tweaks to it since. From my own experience I would have said that at almost three hours including interval, it was a slightly too long; my friends who are casual theatre goers were a little restless by the end, which explains the reported cuts in the running time.

The narrative arc remains the same, though: Althea is the only daughter to the King and Queen of Lagobel. After the death of her mother, Althea is unable to cry or express her pain and she becomes weightless. A psychological effect at her avoidance of grief, she has to be tied down to avoid floating away.

I can assure you that Rosalie Craig is absolutely stunning as Althea - I could not think of a more fitting actress for the lead role. The floating effects were well executed and really have to be seen to be fully appreciated. Craig's ability to deliver such an intense musical performance while suspended upside down or contorted into uncomfortable positions was nothing short of incredible.

The sets and costumes are beautiful; the entire show is a visual treat from start to finish. As for whether it's an aural treat too, well, I loved the music although it is more of a continuous score rather than showstopping anthems. This is fitting with the style of the show and makes for something a bit different to other West End productions.

There are some unexpected funny moments in the musical which I thought were excellent. The Light Princess has some wonderful feminist points although they are executed with brilliant subtlety.

There is a lot to take in with this piece and I don't feel that one viewing will be enough for me to fully appreciate all it has to offer - so I'll be back after opening night.

The Light Princess is taking bookings at the Lyttelton Theatre until January 9.

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