(Rated 8/5 )
This is a beautifully free totally inspired re-imagining by Emma Rice of Noel Coward’s ‘Brief Encounter’. It expertly combines cinema and theatre and all around and in between using actors going from one to the other through screen/cloth curtains and other media such a puppetry to represent children and dogs together with a set which – incorporating just little changes – can easily be imagined as the railway café, a living-room, outside settings and in fact anywhere you like. I went with fairly low expectation – following the recommendation of a friend expecting to enjoy it but not that I’d be absolutely wowed. As you sit in the cinema, but knowing you will be getting a theatrical performance (I know), the cast wander around and greet you J As a musical group – troupe even - they travel round the cinema auditorium singing and playing numbers which transport you back to 1938. (Later members of the cast use the two middle front row seats when going to the cinema in the show.) Dean Nolan – built like a cuddly bear – requests you to turn off the devices ‘that make noises and light up your faces’ – just before the start of the actual show. And then the film begins in black & white on screen whilst also performing in colour on stage. Genius! And remarkable in its simplicity. As I mentioned a similar idea was used in Chess but in a far more sophisticated and showy way. I am reliably informed the Cornwall-based Kneehigh theatre company came up with this first. And I already love them! Another reason to visit Cornwall again - though they do tour the country. In this production we are presented with the agonisingly heart-wrenching roller-coaster romance of that brief encounter between Laura Jesson (Isabel Pollen) and Alec Harvey (Jim Sturgeon) in the midst of slapstick comedy and movement – dance and the songs/poems of Noel Coward. Everybody is excellent. The stillness – as all around her there is chaos – of Laura/Isobel with her emotional experiences etched on her face – is one of the most moving journeys I have witnessed – superb emotional expression. I was very impressed by Jos Slovick’s singing and playing of various instruments including double-bass and ukulele – in addition to acting and dancing – hugely talented young man! And Beverly Rudd is a phenomenon!! In this – as do many of the other cast – she plays 3 very different characterful characters with high energy, great gusto and such fun! Her main role is Beryl the railway café waitress. Lucy Thackeray – as Myrtle Bagot, the railway café owner with her burberry buns ;) - is also a scream and with Dean Nolan gives us hilarious comedy romance/dance performances. It’s a stark contrast to the main drama but enhances rather than detracts from it, making it all the more poignant. I can’t remember if I have seen the original film – aside from snippets of it – we all know the story though as it is so iconic. For me this brings out the depth of the life messages to greater effect than I recall seeing in the original, but then again maybe that is because I – and the way we humans can creatively express ourselves – have developed. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying the central romance has a very short time-span and they have to go through the pain of physical separation. However the love endures and the experience changes them forever – brings them both out of themselves to – ok cliché here – encourage them to realise their full potentials. What are relationships for after all but to help us grow and learn from each other? Sure at times it may not feel like a positive growth but it is always a learning experience. So though the separation of our ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as Myrtle calls them – is painful – there is hope. And we do also have the hope of the more enduring physical togetherness in relationships of the supporting characters – Myrtle may no longer be ‘no good at love’ and Beryl and usher Stanley (Jos)’s young liaison is charming. Gosh I feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I write this. Yep this old classic has such emotional depth and power. And this production is exceptionally good all round entertainment. The cinema we were in used to be a theatre. Oh and the programme for this production is the nicest ever – packed with lovely pictures and info and only one advert ;)
This is a beautifully free totally inspired re-imagining by Emma Rice of Noel Coward’s ‘Brief Encounter’. It expertly combines cinema and theatre and all around and in between using actors going from one to the other through screen/cloth curtains and other media such a puppetry to represent children and dogs together with a set which – incorporating just little changes – can easily be imagined as the railway café, a living-room, outside settings and in fact anywhere you like. I went with fairly low expectation – following the recommendation of a friend expecting to enjoy it but not that I’d be absolutely wowed. As you sit in the cinema, but knowing you will be getting a theatrical performance (I know), the cast wander around and greet you J As a musical group – troupe even - they travel round the cinema auditorium singing and playing numbers which transport you back to 1938. (Later members of the cast use the two middle front row seats when going to the cinema in the show.) Dean Nolan – built like a cuddly bear – requests you to turn off the devices ‘that make noises and light up your faces’ – just before the start of the actual show. And then the film begins in black & white on screen whilst also performing in colour on stage. Genius! And remarkable in its simplicity. As I mentioned a similar idea was used in Chess but in a far more sophisticated and showy way. I am reliably informed the Cornwall-based Kneehigh theatre company came up with this first. And I already love them! Another reason to visit Cornwall again - though they do tour the country. In this production we are presented with the agonisingly heart-wrenching roller-coaster romance of that brief encounter between Laura Jesson (Isabel Pollen) and Alec Harvey (Jim Sturgeon) in the midst of slapstick comedy and movement – dance and the songs/poems of Noel Coward. Everybody is excellent. The stillness – as all around her there is chaos – of Laura/Isobel with her emotional experiences etched on her face – is one of the most moving journeys I have witnessed – superb emotional expression. I was very impressed by Jos Slovick’s singing and playing of various instruments including double-bass and ukulele – in addition to acting and dancing – hugely talented young man! And Beverly Rudd is a phenomenon!! In this – as do many of the other cast – she plays 3 very different characterful characters with high energy, great gusto and such fun! Her main role is Beryl the railway café waitress. Lucy Thackeray – as Myrtle Bagot, the railway café owner with her burberry buns ;) - is also a scream and with Dean Nolan gives us hilarious comedy romance/dance performances. It’s a stark contrast to the main drama but enhances rather than detracts from it, making it all the more poignant. I can’t remember if I have seen the original film – aside from snippets of it – we all know the story though as it is so iconic. For me this brings out the depth of the life messages to greater effect than I recall seeing in the original, but then again maybe that is because I – and the way we humans can creatively express ourselves – have developed. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying the central romance has a very short time-span and they have to go through the pain of physical separation. However the love endures and the experience changes them forever – brings them both out of themselves to – ok cliché here – encourage them to realise their full potentials. What are relationships for after all but to help us grow and learn from each other? Sure at times it may not feel like a positive growth but it is always a learning experience. So though the separation of our ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as Myrtle calls them – is painful – there is hope. And we do also have the hope of the more enduring physical togetherness in relationships of the supporting characters – Myrtle may no longer be ‘no good at love’ and Beryl and usher Stanley (Jos)’s young liaison is charming. Gosh I feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I write this. Yep this old classic has such emotional depth and power. And this production is exceptionally good all round entertainment. The cinema we were in used to be a theatre. Oh and the programme for this production is the nicest ever – packed with lovely pictures and info and only one advert ;)
Brief Encounter – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2018
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