27 September 2018, The Tablet

The Lovely Bones on stage eclipses the original novel


The Lovely Bones on stage eclipses the original novel

Charlotte Beaumont as the murdered Susie Salmon
Photo: Sheila Burnett

 

Given the choice between heaven and hell, most souls would choose paradise. Theatre, though, has shown more enthusiasm for an infernal eternity. Eternal reward has been staged less often, probably because drama demands conflict and tension. But a rare example of an entire play presented from a heavenly perspective is The Lovely Bones, Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel.

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