Review: THE YEARS, Almeida Theatre
Photo credit: Ali Wright
The Years, originally a Booker-nominated autobiographical novel by French author Annie Ernaux, has made a powerful transition to the stage under the adept direction of Eline Arbo. First appearing in front of audiences as De Jaren at the National Theatre in The Hague in 2022, it has now been adapted into English by Arbo and Stephanie Bain for the Almeida Theatre and is an essential viewing experience this summer.
The story traces Ernaux’s life journey from adolescence to old age, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-war Europe and significant events of the 20th and early 21st centuries. It's a fascinating and often familiar account of womanhood, memory, and bodily and spiritual autonomy during turbulent times.
The play features a stellar cast of five women—Harmony Rose-Bremner, Anjli Mohindra, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, and Deborah Findlay—each portraying Ernaux at different stages of her life. They remain on stage throughout the two-hour performance, alternately stepping into the spotlight as Ernaux while also portraying other characters who drift in and out of her life. Despite the potential for confusion, the use of the collective ‘we’ in the text effectively ties the versions of Annie together, isolating her individual experience while connecting it to the collective experience of women in a tumultuous generation. The play’s line, “Memory never stops. It pairs the dead with the living, real with imaginary beings, dreams with history” poignantly encapsulates this theme.
Harmony Rose-Bremner portrays the youngest Annie with sensitive innocence and wide-eyed wonder. Her memories, initially composed of others' recollections, lay a sobering foundation for the more challenging events of her later years. This sets the play off at an appropriately lighter pace, exploring the rapid accumulation of understandings about the world that children must later unlearn as they grow.
Anjli Mohindra captivates as the adolescent Annie, navigating puberty and sexual awakenings with a mix of awkwardness and humour. She brilliantly captures the overwhelming hormonal drive of a young woman, then seamlessly shifts into the darker realities of adult initiation.
The play takes a more confronting turn with a graphic scene depicting a coerced sexual encounter, handled with confidence and sensitivity by the cast. Intimacy coordinator Yrit Dor’s work is evident, ensuring the safety and comfort of both performers and audience during these intense moments.
Romola Garai delivers an incredibly powerful performance as the young adult Annie in a surreal recounting of a secret abortion. Not sound can be heard in the audience, but the silent anguish is deafening, a testament to the truth behind these harrowing scenes. Viewers should be prepared for the graphic content, which has profoundly affected some early audiences.
Gina McKee and Deborah Findlay bring refreshing positivity to their portrayals of Annie in middle age and as an elder, respectively. Rather than being overshadowed by melancholia, their performances highlight joy, pleasure, and a genuine appreciation for life.
The dialogue, partly adapted directly from Ernaux’s text, flows seamlessly into physical sequences without feeling overwritten. Juul Dekker’s minimal set design, utilising white sheets as a visual motif, evolves beautifully throughout the play. These sheets, stained with blood, wine, and food, eventually transform into a childlike hanging mobile above the stage, with projected faces of each version of Annie, leaving a lasting, bittersweet impression of a well-lived life. The sound design from Thijs Van Vuure and costumes from Rebekka Wörkmann successfully transform the ever changing time periods without becoming too garish or cliché which is often a risk.
Despite its challenging themes, The Years is largely uplifting, celebrating womanhood in all its complexity. It is a must-see for its poignant, thought-provoking, and ultimately affirming portrayal of a woman’s life.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Stephanie Osztreicher
The Years plays at the Almeida Theatre until 31 August, with further info here.
