Let The Right One In, Apollo Theatre

First a novel, then a film and now a critically acclaimed stage play, Let the Right One In was all blood on the snow at the Royal Court last Christmas. It is now making its West End debut at the Apollo Theatre with Rebecca Benson and Martin Quinn reprising their acclaimed leading roles.

The play, adapted from John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel and screenplay, traces the unlikely friendship between lonely and bullied teenage boy Oskar and young female vampire Eli, in a plot that is vampire myth meets coming-of-age story. This stage version has been written by Jack Thorne, one of the original writers on Skins and a graduate of the Royal Court’s Young Writers Programme. He also has previous form with supernatural narratives, winning a BAFTA for his BBC Three TV series The Fades in 2012.

The production was first developed earlier in the year for the National Theatre of Scotland by director John Tiffany, whose past successes include Black Watch and the current West End musical Once. It followed the National Theatre of Scotland’s previous artistic director Vicky Featherstone and moves to the Royal Court, where she has taken up the reins.

The show’s Scottish premiere attracted a string of rave reviews: the Guardian called it a ‘beguiling stage adaptation’, while the Scotsman praised ‘Tiffany’s ambitious and beautifully shaped production’. We can’t wait to see how it translates the stunning imagery of Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 film onto the stage.

A word of warning: This show has a chilling subject matter and is not suitable for children. Teenagers may attend the show if accompanied by an adult.