A Little Life Play London Review - Contains Major Spoilers

I was lucky enough to get a stage seat ticket for A Little Life the play on it's second night of previews at the Richmond Theatre in London.
A Little Life officially opens in the West End on 25th March 2023 and will run for 5 months. I am not an expert reviewer of theatre so this is very much a journal of my thoughts and experience having watched it.
I would love to chat with others who have seen it so please leave a comment with your thoughts.

[@ben3jack6]

Loved watching your review. It’s one of my all time favourite books - it’s stayed with me since I read it 7 years ago and I was lucky enough to see the play on Saturday. I agree with a lot of what you said although I did like the scene where Jude died. Him being there one minute and then gone was, I thought very emotional and Harold talking through all of that part was perfect - he has the most beautiful rich and melodious voice. An amazing cast, James Norton is how I always imagined Jude to look. One of my favourite scenes is where Wilem is dancing and he gets Jude up to join him - there was a lot of joy in that moment. I feel very privileged to have seen the play. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@riship88]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Kirsty. I love hearing people's opinion on the play having seen it. So i really need to see the end from the stalls it seens. I loved that dance scene too. I just felt let down by Willems death. Maybe they will so change once i see it from the stalls.

[@Tataabul]

One of my favourite moments was also Willem dancing. Do you by any chance know the name of song they played in that moment? 😊

[@elenaborsa7208]

Hi! Thanks for your review! I flew in from Italy just to see it. To tell you the truth I didn't read the book before, I bought the ticket just because Luke Thompson was in it, so I saw it without knowing almost anything. I can tell that i found it really great, especially James Norton performance. At the end I had chills and I wondered how can he do it night in and night out, how can he reach those deep dark feelings each night and remain sane. I loved the staging, how they almost never leave it, how it felt real with the cooking and the cleaning, and I liked the fact that there were seating on stage because in some situation you could see how other people reacted to the same scene. I agree with you with the sense that it was really fast pace, no time to breath at all! Said that, I read the book after, and I'm glad I did it this way otherswise I would probably enjoyed the play a little less, not because it was not good or anything, but just because of how much they cut from the book. Especially from the part "the happy years", which to me is the most important. The book gives such a deep sense of Jude and Willem relationship, that the play don't always get. And i feel that the character that suffers most all this cuts is Willem's. In the book he struggles a lot too... But in the play he is probably the lightest character. Also I was a bit disappointed with the finale. In the play it is so straightforward how after Willem's death Jude let himself die.. But in the book those three years are deep.. There is so much going on in his head and with the others.. I wish they kept something of that struggle.

[@riship88]

This is a really interesting perspective so thank you for taking time to comment. I'm glad you read it after. I agree, in the play they didn't really dive too deep into Willems struggles with Jude. There was always going to be compromises with the play which is why I've told all my friends to read the book before or after the play as it's just one of the most beautiful books ever written and you loose so much of the nuance in the play.

[@nonagrace8172]

I read the book last month and I fell in love with it. I heard that the play was coming out, and got so exited. But realized that the play was in London meanwhile I live in the US and the flight tickets are out of my budget , I was devastated. So I'm glad that I can hear your experience and thoughts with watching the play :)

[@riship88]

Thanks for your comment Nona. Glad to hear you found the review useful. It is a expensive show on top of expensive flights. I wouldn't be surprised if it comes to Broadway soon.

[@savavida]

I just saw the play at the Savoy Theatre in London and I loved listening to your thoughts!!! There's so much going into this play that you can't really fully grasp if you haven't read the book. I think this adaptation (especially Ana's presence in it) was well-done for what it was. I cried so much!

[@riship88]

Thanks for your comment. Really great hearing your thoughts. I definitely think reading before watching the play is necessary to appreciate this story. I sort of feel sorry for the people who disregarded it as trauma porn.

[@taylorstarr2775]

really enjoyed your take on this, thank you so much for the content!! subscribed and can't wait to see what you put out next

[@riship88]

Thanks for the comment and sub Taylor. Glad you enjoyed it. I'm toying with the idea of doing more theatre based content but haven't decided yet so thanks for the encouragement.

[@mariehullis4342]

Really enjoyed hearing your thoughts. I read the book about 5 years ago and it completely overpowered me. The writing is so beautiful. I’m going in 3 weeks with my husband who has not read the book, I’m definitely going to try and get him to do that before we go.

[@riship88]

Excited for you Marie. Yeh if he can I'd recommend reading it. Let me know what you think once you've seen it!

[@maddieb1774]

I saw it the other day and agree with a lot of your points!! Overall I really enjoyed it (but as a big fan of the book I think it was difficult not to) but I did think it lost a lot of the nuance from the book. Im also on the fence about some of the acting choices for willem- I was expecting an audience gasp when they killed him off but his monologue was delivered so light heartedly I could imagine if you hadn't read the book you would be confused as to what was happening. Also one of my favourite passages from the book where Willem talks about friendship was also delivered in like a joke-y way. At other points he was amazing though! And lastly, as someone sitting in the circle I can confirm Jude's death looked the same there. I hated it, one of the emotional climaxes of the play was ruined because you got taken out of the moment. From the angle I was at as well, you could see the bars on top of the box and it looked like the set was malfunctioning!! So yeah 100% not a fan of that part, I could see the metaphor of it but felt cheated out of a cathartic moment😅 Other than those things loved it, the prosthetics and effects were insane

[@riship88]

Agree with you. I was so disappointed with the way they killed Willem off. I gasped when I was reading it and I think the audience just put down as another sad moment but didn't really grasp the significance of it. I think that was the case with many moments in the play. Jude's death didn't make sense to me, they tried to be cleaver but it just felt clunky and the box was a distraction.

[@TimeIdle]

First, don't downplay your "critic" credentials. You're a theater enthusiast who read the book. You're more than qualified to give honest opinions, and they're really appreciated. Anyhoo, I just don't see how a play could come close to the book's sprawling impact. The only justified adaptation would be a mini-series made by some seriously talented director and screenwriter .Book, film, theater are such different mediums that you need not just resources but also genius to recreate an immersive experience like how this book was.

[@riship88]

Thank you! Hanya wanted to offer it to streaming service to adapt into a series but they wanted to sensor some of the self harm which she wasn't happy about so I guess a play adaptation was the next best thing. I agree though, a series would have been much better.

[@simeonbusano7338]

I saw the play Friday and you know, I think it was a struggle. The acting was solid for the most part and I ended up not minding Jude being portrayed by Norton because the Jude character is a gargantuan task and Norton pulls it off beautifully. But ooooi, the play ended up being a bunch of exposition dumps which is a shame. Ana’s prominent role was a weird choice. Also, the fact that the play doesn’t do anything to show the characters aging means we lose a lot in the sense how deep and long lasting their relationships were.

[@riship88]

I saw your message during the interval on Sunday as I went to see it for a second time. I think my conclusion is that it should not have been turned into a play. I love seeing these characters come to life but having watched it again I just feel it doesn't do the story, book and characters justice. I loath the way they depict Willems death. Without the context of the deep deep relationships these characters have, the play does end up being a trauma dump which is why so many that haven't read it dislike the play. One reviewer said the play says nothing and to some extent I have to agree. I only truly understood what this story is having read the book and listened to numerous interviews given by Hanya for further context. It however was still beautiful seeing the acting of James and Luke who are phenomenal. I will still where my WIllem/Jude t-shirt with pride.

[@simeonbusano7338]

@@riship88 one hundred percent agree. Thanks for making your video. Excellent content ❤️

[@riship88]

@@simeonbusano7338 Thanks for the comment Simeon x

[@ephramk]

Hi thanks for making this review. Having seen the show twice (the first preview in Richmond and the night before the gala performance in London), I do agree with a lot of what you mentioned. I am a big fan of the book, one of my favourite books actually so have high expectations of the play naturally. Not to mention Ivo is also one of my favourite directors. However, I came out of both performances with the conclusion that the book doesn’t really work on stage unfortunately. And weirdly unmoved by it. At least in this production. There are fundamental issues with the direction and writing. On stage, the characters and story just don’t seem believable. And the 3hrs 40 mins run doesn’t do justice to the breadth of the book. So much nuances and beauty of the writing was lost, and characters and plot line develop too quickly and out of nowhere. I do question whether Hanya is the right person to adapt this into a play. She’s a brilliant writer, however it is very different when writing for a play and I felt there were so many times the dialogue were clunky and lack the nuance and natural way of speaking. I also think Harold is miscast. He doesn’t come across as a caring father figure to me. I feel the actors playing Andy and Harold should swap roles. I also don’t like how they deploy Ana in some crucial scenes, it feels really awkward and distracting and takes away the intensity/ tenderness of those scenes. Kudos to the cast though, they gave their everything in the performance. To me James and Omari are the standouts. I can’t help but keep thinking whether this play would work better if it’s done in a 2 parter like The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Matthew Lopez. I really want to love it but sometimes, an adaptation can never live up to its original source.

[@riship88]

Wow, you literally wrote what I've been thinking. At first I dd wonder if it should have been a 2 parter like The Inheritance (one of my all time favourite plays) but my conclusion was that the break in the two shows would mean you loose the emotive build up they are expecting the audience to have. Plus it wouldn't work with the demand the show has garnered. I agree with your Ana comments. Harold grew on me but visually he wasn't what I expected. I think it would have been better suited to a mini series on a streaming platform but Hanya said that the networks put a lot of restrictions on her when having those discussions due to the themes of the story. I think the book is too rich in emotion and beauty to be able to get that all out in 3.5hrs, I knew that would never happen so I think I just appreciated seeing it come to life so quickly after reading it. I think they are two very separate things and maybe a non reader will still walk away feeling something. For me the show was just too fast, everything happened way too quick so you lost the build up of emotion in the relationships. You're right, they come out of nowhere so someone who hasn't read the book would have no content of how meaningful these relationships are. I did not like Andy one but. And I agree the script was weak in place.

[@edgarfranceschi8338]

I think Ivo did the adaptation, not Hanya.

[@riship88]

@@edgarfranceschi8338 he did but she's has been involved with the script.

[@VaryuPon]

I would love to hear a video on what you filled your friend in and how his impressions may have changed from watching the play and filling in some blanks with the book!

[@riship88]

Not sure it's worth a video but it was things like; Harold had a son within a previous marriage, that Julia his current wife was part of the narrative. Explaining to him that Andy was more than a doc to Jude and it was a relationship built over weekly appointments. That towards the end Andy was going to give up his practice and Jude wasn't happy about that. The trip to Rome at the end. Truth be told, there was a lot I couldn't explain as it came from emotions felt through reading and understanding the depth of these relationships which I think only comes when you read it.

[@emmawei6487]

From stall, when the screens came down, we could see JB and it was devastating seeing JB so didn’t personally ruined the emotional moment. Like your review! Except I am one of those people who imagined Jude completely differently. James Norton was amazing but I imagined him a little more steady and slow and not look so similar to Willem…..

[@riship88]

Ah thats interesting to hear, i look forward to seeing it from the stalls. Do you mean you expected him to be slower in the show In terms of pacing?

[@emmawei6487]

He did an amazing job as Jude but I always thought they’d cast someone like Rami Malek of Eddie Redmayne..

[@riship88]

@@emmawei6487 i see what you mean. I get that. I think they'd have done a good job also. They have a gentle presence.

[@Journalistwoman]

@@emmawei6487 Jude is described in the novel as tall, over 6ft 1 and 'handsome' and 'pretty' and 'beautiful'. Norton is, I suppose, handsome but he isn't beautiful, well in my opinion and in the role Norton lacks Jude's humbleness and repetitive apologetic nature (which reflects Jude's continual self-loathing/imposter syndrome even amongst those who love him) as depicted in the novel. I found Norton's performance was not without intelligence or sensitivity, yet his delivery of lines, in places was quite gung-ho public schoolboyish and there are traces of a (Norton's) competitive nature on stage which are out of kilter . I still think Norton should be Willem but I think he is a far better actor than Eddie Redmayne and Malek is quite short in stature (sorry to sound sizeist!), it is just that Jude, when asked by Harold to name one 'thing' he likes about himself, which Jude struggles to do, he finally says 'I'm tallish'. This isn't just for aesthetics, I think, but the author lends her character some quasi-confidence via his height whilst all else about his body is injured, cut, despicable (for Jude) etc.

[@alfcr3]

Watched it last night and I completely agree with everything you said regarding stage direction. Some things were a little awkward and clunky. The acting was amazing though!

[@riship88]

I can't fault the acting but glad to hear you thought similar about the staging.

[@estellabolger65]

Excellent video, thank you! I actually did not like the book but am going to see the show to analyze it for the theater aspects (I don’t mind spoilers). You have made me more excited/curious to go bc it does seem quite different between mediums.

[@riship88]

Thank you. I'd be curious to hear what you think of the the play. Let me know.

[@DaicyChen]

I just finished the book last week and regret that I will never make it to see the play. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and details on the show.

[@riship88]

You're welcome. I hope they bring it to a streaming platform.

[@sange65]

I read the book during lockdown and was overwhelmed with the story. It’s beautiful written and so absorbing even though it’s depressingly sad. I’m totally hooked on Hanya Yanyagihara . The book stayed with me for months. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I saw the play at the Savoy last week and was underwhelmed. The acting was fantastic but the emotion that Hanya invested in all her characters just didn’t come across for me in the play. The play only gave you a lick of emulsion on Jude’s complete character. And, like you when Willem was killed I also cried so much - that didn’t translate in the play. I was up in the heavens- grand circle so I’m wondering if I would have had a different experience in the stalls or on the stage? Yeah, the bug bear for me was the lack of emotion. Didn’t Harold have a wife? Or was that Anna role as well?

[@riship88]

No they royally fucked up Willems death. Harold did have a wife whom they completely left out. Anna was the social worker that didn't really have much of a place in the book except a small portion but they obviously felt she would be a good way of bringing in Jude's inner voice. I didn't love Anna. Overall it didn't completely work but I think fellow book fans were just happy to see it come to life.

[@edgarfranceschi8338]

Saw Van Hove's production in Dutch ( with English subtitles) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last fall and it turned out to be very underwhelming, in spite of so much blood on stage. I left at intermission. Very disappointing.

[@riship88]

Oh really, the London version is pretty similar I believe.

Your analysis is spot on. I have read the play.

[@riship88]

Thank you. Ooh I should buy the script.

[@johnnyh9386]

Managed to get a ticket for the stalls, middle row/seat. Going in 2 weeks. A pretty penny paid for it but not as much as some have paid. Just kept checking the booking sites and seats eventually become available as people cancel etc. Haven't read the book yet but have swotted up on it and the play (which brought me here) so I have an idea of what to expect. Can.Not.Wait!

[@riship88]

Hey Johnny, ahh exciting. Would be interested to hear what you think because I've heard very mixed reviews from people I know who have seen it. Yes a friend of mine managed to get a stage seat at the last minute so there are seats and deals to be had. I hope you do read it at some point as the play doesn't give you the same experience as the book.

[@johnnyh9386]

@@riship88 Thought the play was amazing. But I haven't read the book. Obviously a stage setting is limiting but it works visually in a way a book or movie might not. What's good about the play is you do feel the air of compassion coming from the audience towards the character so although the subject matter is heavy, you do leave feeling awestruck and uplifted in a way, just at the sheer brilliance of the performances. It's a tough ride but ultimately a rewarding experience.

[@tiffanyttay]

i traveled to London from the US specifically to see the play -- big fan of the book and a big fan of Ivo van Hove. I watched a recorded livestream of the Dutch production a year ago and it was pretty much identical. I have mixed emotions when it comes to the stage version and I agree with most of your points. I think my least favorite part of the show was Ana's character: I disliked when she would shout at Jude emulating his inner monologue, it was very distracting and removed me from the moments. I don't think the show would survive on Broadway.

[@rajaharrag667]

Could you please tell me where you watched the dutch livestream? Could you please give me a link?

[@riship88]

I agree, other theatre industry friends have said that no way would it work on Broadway. I wasn't a big fan of Ana at all.

[@sstephreads]

I've read the book and I was okay, but I have tickets to see the recorded play tonight with my friend, and I've heard there's graphic gore as in blood... which I'm not great with. Would you recommend I give it a miss?

[@riship88]

Sorry, I only just read this. Did you see it? Yes lots of blood of course.

[@sstephreads]

@@riship88 All good, I saw it twice 😂

[@riship88]

Haha so you survived it then@@sstephreads Unfortunately I was away so wasn't able to see it :(

[@TheHattie10]

Can you give time stamps of spoiler warnings? Or do a spoiler free video? Really want to know your views especially from a stage seat without spoilers!

[@riship88]

Hey Michael, this one is full of spoilers so no point giving time stamps but I'll try and do one this week which is spoiler free with a focus on the experience with stage seats.

[@TheHattie10]

@@riship88 Hi Thanks, I'd love to hear your views and thanks for replying.

[@riship88]

For you Michael - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX_VgHp6d5unrKc

[@danibooknooks]

Will people all over the country like US be able to buy a ticket and stream it online?

[@riship88]

They've not announced anything yet but often it gets shown in the cinema. I wouldn't be surprised if they do though.

[@bellacooper7937]

what do you mean by this? do UK shows often get streamed in cinemas world wide? i’m from the US and hoping for something

[@riship88]

@@bellacooper7937 Yes, if there is a coveted play running in the West End (London) then we have a company called NTLive that will film the performance and then it will get shows in cinema's nationwide to allow for more people to watch it. I don't know if that is then sold to other regions. Depends if they are planning to take the show to Broadway in the future which i suspect they might.

[@jona1575]

I watched the show not having read the book although I kinda knew the spoilers and knew what to expect. Having said that, it was confusing at parts as to what was going on as the pace was rather quick. I agree that Wilhem's death scene was not well done and took me out of it. His "wee" or "woo" line was almost comical and I almost felt like letting out a laugh. Overall, I thought the acting was good but Luke Thompson for me was the weak link. Maybe it was the directors choice but Wilhem seemed to lack nuance and sometimes Luke's acting made it a bit over the top and one dimensional. I liked Zubin Varla as Harold and thought he shone the brightest. I liked the idea of Anna as the inner voice / narrator at times but sometimes it was confusing. The metal box scene for Jude's death was not needed. I liked the set but the screens at the side were distracting. I disagree with you on having the other actors remain on stage and doing their own thing on the side. For me it was distracting and took away from what was happening in the centre stage. I didn't need to keep seeing JB do his painting or Wilhelm on the couch talking to himself (memorising his lines?). Overall, I think they could have edited this play a bit better. A bit more balance and having some more lighter moments would have been better as the emotional impact at the end would be greater.

[@riship88]

The wee moment was a proper wtf moment for me. I was in disbelief how they portrayed Willem's death. I enjoyed most of the set except the big box that came down at the end. Really couldn't believe that was the best idea they had to remove him from the stage.

I am a relatively poor writer and 35 pounds would be maximum for a cheaper seat ( I used to see many London plays like this, ) Personally I am ( along with others ) unhappy that you have to be well off now to see a play in the West End. Just an observation. As the Guardian newspaper said ( or perhaps the Observer ) you have to be rich to pay out 300 pounds for a play with a ' good ' cast. It used not to be like this. Just an observation, and I like your passion for this book which although I think is uneven in parts is compulsive and above all necessary to read.

[@riship88]

I only ever buy day seats via today ticks and very rarely pay more than £30 for a very good stalls seat. Occasionally I'll pay more if I'm planning a night at the theatre with friends and we need to be planned.

[@tzeyanglee8306]

Not too dissimilar opinions, watching the play fresh off the heel of completing the book. I think the play lacked the tenderness the book has, and the fast pace dominated by trauma and self harm lends to the dominant description of it being trauma porn.

[@riship88]

Absolutely correct. lacking in tenderness is the perfect way to describe it.

[@catherinechen4239]

Hi there, this is an odd question and off the topic. About actor James Norton, do you think he would be the right cast for James Bond since you have seen how he has brought Jude to life?

[@riship88]

I think he's very well suited to Jude as he is quite slim and petit in frame/build, quite handsome and charming looking which I imagine Jude to be. But then I have not seen Happy Valley so he may be quite different in that. I imagine a James Bond to have a bit more sex appeal and a grander presence. Just my opinion. For example I can't imagine Eddie Redmayne as Bond. Would be interesting to hear other peoples thoughts.