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The Years at the Harold Pinter Theatre isn’t your grandma’s dusty history lesson. Adapted from Annie Ernaux’s slightly less catchy Les Années, this production is a wild ride through a woman’s life as history just keeps happening to her.
Instead of a straightforward ‘here’s my life snooze-fest’, The Years tosses you into a kaleidoscope of moments from the protagonist’s life, spanning post-war France to the dawn of, well, whatever this mess is we’re in now.
The scenes are snippets: a stolen first kiss, the agonising walk to a shady abortion clinic, the sheer panic of raising kids while trying to figure out who you even are. Ernaux (and the adaptation) wisely avoids spelling things out; it’s all about the feeling of being a woman navigating a world that’s constantly shifting beneath your feet. We get Kennedy’s assassination because it’s on TV while she’s trying to make dinner. The fall of the Berlin Wall’s playing in the background while her marriage falls apart. It’s a poignant reminder that life goes on even when the world’s on fire... sometimes literally.
Here’s where things get clever. Instead of one actress shouldering the weight of decades, the protagonist is split into five: Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra and Harmony Rose-Bremner. Each embodies a different stage of her life, making the whole thing feel less like a biopic and more like a communal sharing circle of womanhood.
Mohindra brings a fiery spirit to the young protagonist, capturing her awakening sexuality and her growing frustration with the patriarchy. Her performance in the (trigger warning!) forced first encounter scene is gut-wrenching. Garai goes full-throttle during the abortion scene; indeed, the show had to be stopped midway when I saw it because an audience member fainted. This is a performance you won’t soon forget, even if you want to. Garai does a great job of balancing the trauma with the character’s determination to control her own destiny.
McKee and Findlay constitute the wise elder category, bringing a world-weariness and a wicked sense of humor to their portrayals of the older protagonist. They convey the complexities of a life fully lived, the regrets and triumphs, the laughter and tears. But don’t be fooled – they’re not just sitting around reminiscing. They’re sharp, engaged, and still giving the patriarchy the side-eye. Also, the scene where these two are acting like obnoxious teenagers should be immortalised. Rose-Bremner clearly got the memo that life is serious... but also sometimes a bit absurd, as she displays in an aerobic workout.
Eline Arbo’s direction is spot on. She wrangles the fragmented narrative into something cohesive and emotionally resonant. It would be easy for this show to feel disjointed, but Arbo keeps the pace brisk, the transitions smooth, and the overall effect surprisingly powerful. The choreography is subtle but effective, adding a layer of visual poetry to the production.
The set design is minimalist, almost stark. White sheets serve as backdrops, transforming into photographs, memories and the blank canvases onto which the protagonist’s life is projected. It’s a clever move, forcing you to focus on the performances and the story, rather than getting bogged down in elaborate set pieces. The costumes subtly evoke different eras, and the lighting is used to great effect, creating a sense of intimacy and highlighting the emotional nuances of each scene.
The Years is a play that speaks to the issues that are still swirling around in the cultural discourse. The play’s exploration of female sexuality, reproductive rights and the ongoing struggle for gender equality is particularly relevant. It’s a reminder that the battles fought in the past are still being fought today, and that progress isn’t always linear.
It’s a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant piece of theatre that will stay with you for a long time. It’s a challenging watch, for sure, but also a deeply rewarding one. If you’re looking for a play that will make you think, make you feel, and maybe even make you question everything you thought you knew about history and womanhood, then The Years is definitely worth your time. Just don’t take your children – it’s most definitely not suitable for kids.
The Years is playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 19 April 2025.
Daniel Barnett practises from Outer Temple Chambers and presents the legal hour on LBC Radio.
The Years at the Harold Pinter Theatre isn’t your grandma’s dusty history lesson. Adapted from Annie Ernaux’s slightly less catchy Les Années, this production is a wild ride through a woman’s life as history just keeps happening to her.
Instead of a straightforward ‘here’s my life snooze-fest’, The Years tosses you into a kaleidoscope of moments from the protagonist’s life, spanning post-war France to the dawn of, well, whatever this mess is we’re in now.
The scenes are snippets: a stolen first kiss, the agonising walk to a shady abortion clinic, the sheer panic of raising kids while trying to figure out who you even are. Ernaux (and the adaptation) wisely avoids spelling things out; it’s all about the feeling of being a woman navigating a world that’s constantly shifting beneath your feet. We get Kennedy’s assassination because it’s on TV while she’s trying to make dinner. The fall of the Berlin Wall’s playing in the background while her marriage falls apart. It’s a poignant reminder that life goes on even when the world’s on fire... sometimes literally.
Here’s where things get clever. Instead of one actress shouldering the weight of decades, the protagonist is split into five: Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra and Harmony Rose-Bremner. Each embodies a different stage of her life, making the whole thing feel less like a biopic and more like a communal sharing circle of womanhood.
Mohindra brings a fiery spirit to the young protagonist, capturing her awakening sexuality and her growing frustration with the patriarchy. Her performance in the (trigger warning!) forced first encounter scene is gut-wrenching. Garai goes full-throttle during the abortion scene; indeed, the show had to be stopped midway when I saw it because an audience member fainted. This is a performance you won’t soon forget, even if you want to. Garai does a great job of balancing the trauma with the character’s determination to control her own destiny.
McKee and Findlay constitute the wise elder category, bringing a world-weariness and a wicked sense of humor to their portrayals of the older protagonist. They convey the complexities of a life fully lived, the regrets and triumphs, the laughter and tears. But don’t be fooled – they’re not just sitting around reminiscing. They’re sharp, engaged, and still giving the patriarchy the side-eye. Also, the scene where these two are acting like obnoxious teenagers should be immortalised. Rose-Bremner clearly got the memo that life is serious... but also sometimes a bit absurd, as she displays in an aerobic workout.
Eline Arbo’s direction is spot on. She wrangles the fragmented narrative into something cohesive and emotionally resonant. It would be easy for this show to feel disjointed, but Arbo keeps the pace brisk, the transitions smooth, and the overall effect surprisingly powerful. The choreography is subtle but effective, adding a layer of visual poetry to the production.
The set design is minimalist, almost stark. White sheets serve as backdrops, transforming into photographs, memories and the blank canvases onto which the protagonist’s life is projected. It’s a clever move, forcing you to focus on the performances and the story, rather than getting bogged down in elaborate set pieces. The costumes subtly evoke different eras, and the lighting is used to great effect, creating a sense of intimacy and highlighting the emotional nuances of each scene.
The Years is a play that speaks to the issues that are still swirling around in the cultural discourse. The play’s exploration of female sexuality, reproductive rights and the ongoing struggle for gender equality is particularly relevant. It’s a reminder that the battles fought in the past are still being fought today, and that progress isn’t always linear.
It’s a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant piece of theatre that will stay with you for a long time. It’s a challenging watch, for sure, but also a deeply rewarding one. If you’re looking for a play that will make you think, make you feel, and maybe even make you question everything you thought you knew about history and womanhood, then The Years is definitely worth your time. Just don’t take your children – it’s most definitely not suitable for kids.
The Years is playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 19 April 2025.
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