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Brief Encounter

Published Monday 18 February 2008 at 15:10 by Alistair Smith

Brief Encounter’s appearance at the Cineworld Cinema on the Haymarket marks not only the launch of a new West End show, but also the rebirth of a former London theatre.

The production excels at both. Not only does the one-time Carlton reveal itself as a beautiful and intimate art deco venue, slap bang in the middle of theatreland, but Kneehigh’s stage adaptation of David Lean’s classic film romance fills it with as exciting and innovative a production as you’ll find anywhere in London.

From the red carpet as you enter, to the cucumber sandwiches served on platters in the interval, this is a true theatre experience. And what is on stage does not disappoint either.

Kneehigh’s adaptation introduces a larger comic element than is present in the original film, but retains the touching pathos of Alec and Laura’s love affair, while highlighting their social repression through the free behaviour of the lower class characters surrounding them.

The lovers are ably played by Tristan Sturrock and Naomi Frederick, but the show’s real highlights come in the array of bit-part eccentrics who inhabit the world Emma Rice has created on stage. Amanda Lawrence is a particular delight as she turns her comic hand to roles from various social strata.

A band plays throughout with composer Stu Baker setting Noel Coward lyrics to music. What is most remarkable is how all these strands - music, cinema projection, theatre and the venue itself - complement each other.

This is a wonderful meeting of the commercial and subsidised sectors and it creates a show that will appeal to all sorts, from those who remember the original film fondly, to Kneehigh’s younger and more experimental following. Long may it run - this show certainly deserves more than just a brief encounter on the Haymarket.

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