Review: THE LOVELY BONES, Rose Theatre

Alice Sebold made a literary splash with her heart-rending 2002 novel The Lovely Bones. The story follows 14 year-old Susie Salmon, raped and murdered, who now views earth from her vantage point in heaven. Here she witnesses how her family, friends and her killer cope with her death and try to live life without her. Directed by the talented Melly Still, a breathtaking stage adaptation is now on a national tour.

Byrony Lavery's adaptation has many challenges to bring this story to the stage, but remains faithful to the story. If you know the book very well, you may miss some of the nuanced manner of Susie's narration and the end borders on being too neat. However, as a stand-alone play, and despite the grim premise of the story, this remains a fascinating and hugely poignant production.

There are many levels to the success of this production; there is the tenderness with which it focuses on grief and how it is endured by different people. It is raw, harrowing, but also full of humour and humanity. Susie cannot be truly free until her killer is brought to justice and she watches helplessly as her murderer seems to escape as the police fail to find obvious clues and her family falls apart.

Charlotte Beaumont is wonderfully magnetic as Susie. On stage for the whole play, she brings a lightness and optimism to the character, both wise beyond her years and innocently childlike as she stamps and roars with frustration at missed opportunities to catch her killer. Only kissed once, she observes her sister and friends as they begin to explore their sexualities; Beaumont is visibly consumed by a sadness that she will never be able to do the same.

The remainder of the excellent cast is tightly choreographed. Fanta Barrie is very convincing as Susie's sister Lindsay; tormented and overshadowed by Susie's death as she adjusts into a new reality of life without her sister. Jack Sandle's father visibly moves from abject anger in his grief to a humble resignation. Nicholas Khan is suitably chilling and strange as murderer Mr Harvey and Avita Jay is both brilliantly aloof as school parent Ruana and a model of patience as Susie's guardian in heaven, Franny.

Ana Inés Jabares-Pita's innovative design may have been made specifically for the Rose and is simply stunning. Complimented by Matt Haskin's gorgeous, ethereal lighting, the huge mirrored panel that leans over the stage acts to reflect both the earth and heaven. A scene where Susie dances to David Bowie looks like she is suspended in space and is simply breathtaking.

The panel is also transparent and gives glimpses of other action, such as Mr Hunter casting a ghostly spectre over the cast, whilst seeming to be among them at the same time. It is clever and highly effective.

Director Melly Still has good form with the Rose Theatre, with her recent adaptations of My Brilliant Friend and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Here she uses some brilliant stagecraft to tell the story; as well as the dual perspective from the design, Susie's rape is shown by her clothes being tossed around the stage as she narrates from the centre of the scene, a smashed snow globe sees huge glass shards held up by the cast and Mr Hunter's previous victims reveal themselves as floating dresses.

As a literary adaptation alone, this production is a tender, funny and tragic exploration of both coming-of-age and the grief that it will never quite happen. Staged in this form, it is simply unmissable.

The Lovely Bones is at the Rose Theatre until 26 October and then touring

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith

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