Hex at the National Theatre

“If you were asked to recount Sleeping Beauty, which story would you tell?” posits fairytale academic Rose Guy. There are numerous adaptations, but the earliest may be from Perceforest between 1330 and 1334, with an even older variant discovered in 9^th century China. 

With its exuberant twist on the classic, Hex packs a lot in its two-hour-30-minute runtime, but it is far too long; with an astonishing 28 numbers, it feels like there’s a melody a second. Ironically, composer Jim Fortune states, “…if the song doesn’t tell the story we need then it doesn’t matter how good it sounds… save it for an album…” – as if some tunes had been edited. 

In director Rufus Norris’s version, Princess Rose (Rosie Graham) will not grow tired, causing her mother, Queen Regina, great weariness. The job of solving the problem falls to Fairy (Lisa Lambe), a low sprite unable to join the ranks of the high fairies, who descend beautifully in their pink, green and blue gowns from the ceiling like the Aurora Borealis. Fairy’s magic is stopped when she saves the palace’s aide from being eaten by an ogre, causing her spell on Rose to be cast as a hex. Interest wanes (you can hear a loud snore coming from amidst the audience) and it is hard to remain intrigued, especially with the lengthy duration and long numbers that should not have made the cut.  

There are scattered humorous moments, like Rose appearing adult in a cradle, or Prince Burt (Michael Elcock) with his snappy lines, but the highlight of the entire performance is half-ogress half-human Queenie, played to perfection by Victoria Hamilton-Barritt.  It is her story arc that elevates the piece, particularly in the second half. There are also some dark and alarming elements, such as Queenie in labour and some cannibalism, but they never develop far. 

Some luminous moments make even the adults smile in awe – like the magical set design by Katrina Lindsay, which includes a Disney-style palace upended from the roof with a built-in bed. Additionally, there are musical highlights that sound like they’re straight off a great pop record, among them The One (a gorgeous number in a traditional Irish style), I Know What I Am and Above It All presenting some inspirational life lessons for younger audiences. But overall future musical theatre directors would be wise to take note: sometimes less is more.

Selina Begum
Photo: Johan Persson

Hex is at the National Theatre from 19^th December until 14^th January 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch a trailer for the production here: