By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Wednesday 10 April 2024, opens 17 April and runs through 22 June 2024 RUNTIME: 205 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

PJ Harvey has written 13 new tracks which are sung by the cast here in this ‘play with songs’ which adapts Dickens’ last novel Our Mutual Friend.

• Read on for reasons including how the songs are understated, dark, brooding yet hauntingly beautiful

There’s an onstage band playing guitar, keys, piano and drums and the songs are understated, dark, brooding yet hauntingly beautiful.

These days those 3 little words ‘Money, money, money’ might make us think of ABBA, a voyage across town in east London, but back in 1864/1865 the subject was very much Dickens’ preoccupation as he told the tale of John Harmon who was set to inherit his businessman father’s wealth on condition he marry a woman he had never met – Bella Wilfur – until his dead body was found in the Thames.

Director Ian Rickson (Translations, National Theatre) gives us a Ben Power (Husbands And Sons, National Theatre) adaptation which plays to the strengths of this venue’s sense of place on the south bank of the Thames and tells a story stretching along the river from Barnes in the west, through Holborn, Limehouse, Deptford Creek, Greenwich to its east and wends its way through Kent.

We meet characters from lawyers and teachers to a pub landlady and a Thames boat-working father who is falsely accused of murdering Harmon which leaves a stain on the reputations of his children, our heroine Lizzie Hexam, given life by the excellent Ami Tredrea, and her infuriating brother Charley played by Brandon Grace.

Elsewhere a very funny Peter Wight (Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre) inherits the money intended for Harmon and takes pity on a grieving Miss Wilfur, a memorable Bella Maclean (Spring Awakening, Almeida), as ghostly figure Rokesmith, played by Tom Mothersdale from TV’s Bodies, stalks the action.

This is not a traditional musical where the numbers advance the plot and instead, like Standing At The Sky’s Edge (Gillian Lynne Theatre), they have the feel of soliloquies as single characters open up their heart in the spotlight.

With titles like London Song, London, My Beautiful, Holloway, Upstream and Deptford Creek however, it very much feels like the city and the Thames has a voice in this and are characters also.

The production is beautifully realised and especially striking with undulating lights giving a sense of tidal ebb and flow as the band plays in 1 corner, occasionally stepping upstage to eccentuate a particular song.

There’s real quality in the cast and we were especially touched by Jamael Westman’s (Patriots, Almeida) vain lawyer who takes a shine to Lizzie, Crystal Condie’s (Dear England, Prince Edward Theatre) feisty landlady and Jake Wood’s (2.22 A Ghost Story, Noel Coward Theatre) doomed father.

We saw a 1st preview and the 3 hour-plus run-time and introspective songs will not be for everyone. Indeed the 2 elderly couples sat next to us left at the interval.

But what London Tide succeeds in doing is casting new light on a familiar and under-rated story of class, education and money, set in this city which may take a while to immerse you but is well worth the time spent.

• Main picture via Facebook courtesy National Theatre Tickets
• Have you seen a National theatre show before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
• Enjoyed this preview? Follow monstagigz on Twitter @NeilDurham, email neildurham3@gmail.com and check us out on Instagram and Facebook