Modern readers have been increasingly less forgiving of the sexist and racist slurs that reflect the period in the classic novel Of Mice and Men. There becomes a challenge, then, in how to portray the story on stage. In this adaptation, written by John Steinbeck himself, there is the added question of how Lennie – a migrant ranch worker with learning disabilities, travelling for work with his friend George – should be portrayed. Or rather, by whom.
There has been significant discourse around actors ‘cripping up’ on stage. The Globe Theatre’s artistic director Michelle Terry received backlash for her decision to cast herself, a non-physically disabled actor, as Richard III. In contrast, other recent productions, including one here at Hull Truck in 2017, have featured disabled actors in the role.
This co-production between Hull Truck, Derby Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton & Theatre by The Lake, takes the latter path. Wiliam Young and Luke Richards, two actors with learning difficulties, share the role of Lennie, with Young performing on press night – and it’s Young’s lived experience seeping into his rounded performance that makes this a compelling production. He is well-versed in Steinbeck’s world having played Lennie twice previously.
Steinbeck’s depiction of men seeking companionship in the macho world of manual labour is tenderly portrayed in director Sarah Brigham’s hands. George’s (Liam King, excellent) openness about his relationship with Lennie when asked about it by Slim (Laurence Pears) is particularly touching and the silence in the living quarters as the men wait for the shot to ring out signalling the death of Candy’s (played by Ben Wilson, an actor with lived experience of sight loss plays) old dog is heart-wrenching.
In its translation to stage, Of Mice and Men does lose some of its subtlety. The killing of Candy’s dog is too obvious in its foreshadowing and some of the leaps in character development, or the characters’ reactions to certain events, seem unbelievable. Equally obvious is Ivan Stott’s compositions which blatantly aim to pull at heartstrings as they strike up on-cue, distracting us at key moments.
Even if most of us already know how the story ends, the story itself remains gripping and while the debates about Of Mice and Men will go on (there have been recent calls for it to be removed from the curriculum in England) this production, with Young at its centre, offers a strong argument for the story’s continued relevance despite its flaws.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (Very good)
Of Mice and Men is at Hull Truck until 22 March 2025, then touring
