After initially planning a fall 2020 opening, the West End transfer of The Ocean at the End of the Lane will now play the Duke of York's Theatre next year, with previews beginning October 23, 2021. Opening night is set for November 4.

The Katy Rudd-helmed production made its world premiere at the National Theatre's Dorfman Theatre last year, with Samuel Blenkin, Jade Croot, Fred Davis, Owain Gwynn, Pippa Nixon, Justin Salinger, Jeffrey Sangalang, Marli Siu, Josie Walker, and Jess Williams taking the stage.

Based on the Neil Gaiman novel and adapted by Joel Horwood, the play follows Alex, who returns home and finds himself revisiting past memories of his friend Lettie, who used to say that the pond behind her house wasn't a pond at all, but an ocean. Alex and Lettie are plunged into a magical realm and must reckon with dark, ancient forces.

The reopening of U.K. theatres is about on par with the current plan in the U.S., with the vast majority of stagings taking place in open-air venues. A large-scale production—the musical adaptation of Sleepless in Seattle recently opened indoors at London's Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre.