French writer Annie Ernaux was 82 when she received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2022. The Years, published in 2008, is the best known of her 18 books. At once both deeply personal and strongly political, the book is an expansive memoir, but is presented as a novel rather than an autobiography.
It has been adapted for the stage by Eline Arbo, artistic director of Internationaal Theater Amsterdam with the English stage version by Stephanie Bain. After a run at London’s Almeida Theatre last year, The Years has now opened at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the heart of the West End.
Beginning with World War II, this is the story of a life told as if looking through the old family photos. As Ernaux’s words underline, “one day we’ll be in the memories of our grandchildren”.
The ensemble of five actors – Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra and Harmony Rose-Bremner – is astonishingly strong. They each play the central, and yet unnamed, character at different stages of her life. This may sound a little awkward, but in reality it is exceptionally effective with each playing a particular life stage and age (roughly proximate to the age of the actor). These are powerful and nuanced performances, both individually and as an ensemble, embodying a quiet strength and an uplifting sense of resilience combined with sorrow and suffering.
The insightful dialogue is delivered with flair, never sounding too self-conscious. Gina McKee, one of my favourite television actors, is mesmerising on stage, able to convey complex emotions with the smallest of gestures. And young actor Harmony Rose-Bremner (such a great name) is an absolute delight, shining with enthusiasm and talent.
The script entwines a deeply personal story with the big brush strokes of recent history to craft a vivid portrait of one woman’s life shaped by a rapidly changing world. Women’s liberation and world events are juxtaposed against personal relationships and sexual encounters. The enactment of a back-street abortion is heartbreakingly sad (and the subject of numerous trigger warnings for the audience) and the graphic display of female masturbation is embarrassingly hilarious (and very cleverly stage-managed). It also talks to the disconnection between how we see ourselves and how the world sees us.
There are few props and no real set. Designer Juul Dekker uses a simple white table and chairs as the focal point, and puts white bed sheets to great effect especially when they are hung around the stage as banners. The lighting by Varja Klosse is also very effective in setting the mood. Staged without an interval, and coming in at just a tad under two hours, this is a deeply moving work that takes the audience on a shared emotional journey.
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It’s a theatrical cliché, but The Years really is a play that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. Highly recommended.
Sonia Friedman Productions presents the Almeida Theatre production of The Years
Harold Pinter Theatre
Adapted and Directed by: Eline Arbo
Based on Les Années by Annie Ernaux
English Stage Version: Stephanie Bain
Music Supervisor and Sound Designer: Thijs Van Vuure
Set Designer: Juul Dekker
Lighting Designer: Varja Klosse
Cast: Deborah Findlay, Romola Garai, Gina McKee, Anjli Mohindra, Harmony Rose-Bremner
Recommended for audiences 15+ with trigger warnings for graphic depictions of abortion, blood, a coerced sexual encounter and sexual content. The production includes the use of e-cigarettes, haze and flashing lights.
The Years will be performed until 19 April 2025.
