** SPOILERS AHEAD **

If I could use two words to describe Hex at the National Theatre, it would be ‘utterly bizarre’ – sometimes in the best way, and sometimes in the worst way. There was no inbetween. Which is why I’ve decided this was a solid three star show for me.

What is it about?

Hex is an ambitious new musical, retelling the classic fairytale of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the fairy who cast the curse. In this story she isn’t evil, but misunderstood; a dishevelled and lonely fairy who is only trying to find her purpose. Born without wings, she was left abandoned in the forest when all the other fairies departed years earlier.

When Fairy, played by Rosalie Craig, is summoned to the royal palace to help the restless daughter of a desperate King and Queen sleep, she finds herself unable to ‘bless’ the young Princess. The receiver has to want the blessing, and baby Rose definitely did not want to sleep. After an attempt to imprison Fairy in the castle, she puts a hex on the young princess in a fit of rage and fear. This is a mistake that leaves Fairy magicless and riddled with guilt as she spends the next century trying to counteract her wrongdoing.

What moments were a highlight?

Honestly, any time Prince Bert (Michael Elcock) was on stage was an absolute joy. If you know your Disney movies, he very much had massive Flynn/Naveen energy. I think the character really helped pick up the pace of the show when it started to feel like it was dragging, entering with a comedic introduction number. Tamsin Carroll as Queenie and Kat Ronney as Rose were also delightful.

But, of course, Rosalie Craig was a truly stand out performance, embodying all the tics and nervous demeanour of Fairy. Although, there were moments where Fairy would have conversations with herself in a way that I can only describe as being an embodiment of Gollum (if you know, you know). Check out the song ‘Probly’ I’ve added at the bottom of this post for an example of what I mean.

Where it missed the mark…

Weird and quirky shows, when done well, are often some of my favourite types of musicals. But Hex really struggled to understand its own vibe. Did they mean for it to be a fun, family comedy, or a darker, more serious tale? It was really hard to make sense of what they were trying to accomplish. I think if you have a wild and crazy plot, then you can’t be trying to take it so seriously. The way we went from some really fun moments to a dark, almost horror-like feel, when the ogress, Queenie, tries to eat her own grandchildren (yes, you read that correctly) was like whiplash. They seemed to market it as their family Christmas holiday season show, but I didn’t get the feeling it was for children at all during some scenes.

The set was also pretty bare. I really enjoyed the gorgeous castle that descends and turns around to be the bed where our Sleeping Beauty rests in her cursed sleep, but I can’t say that much else stood out to me. When I entered the auditorium and saw the multitude of spindles decorating the stage, it made sense as this is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. But at no point do we even see Rose prick her finger on a spindle in this adaptation therefore this design didn’t really have a purpose in this tale.

Some of the music also seemed to conflict with each other. We had whimsical sounding numbers like ‘Probly’ contrasting with a pop-heavy song like ‘Sixteen’. If you randomly listened to these two songs I don’t think you would ever be able to guess they were from the same show.

Covid delays and setbacks

The production was riddled with covid related setbacks, which cancelled their opening night for their run entirely. Hex is set to return at the National Theatre at the end of this year for the seasonal family show once again. The long delay between its return makes me hope some changes will be made to improve the piece. It’s the perfect opportunity to rework some parts that maybe didn’t work as well. The show has the potential to be amazing, but currently it’s very mediocre at best. I truly did enjoy some parts, but others made me wonder why I was there. Like I said, I was experiencing constant whiplash.

I also hope we see the same cast returning, but I understand they may find other work commitments by the time it comes around. And who knows if this plan to bring it back will even materialise – a lot can happen in 12 months!

Final comments

There were moments where I couldn’t stop laughing, some songs I really loved, and a great twist on an old classic fairytale. Sure, it didn’t change my life or anything, but it was definitely something different to see.

When Hex comes back to the National Theatre at the end of this year, definitely go see it if you’re looking for something a little more quirky. I really wanted to love this show but sadly I think it still has some work to do. I hope they take the hiatus to reflect on how they can make it flow more smoothly.

Did you see Hex at the National Theatre? If so, what are your thoughts? Will anyone be trying to see the show when it comes back? Let me know in the comments!