Details

Coward's great tale of illicit love adapted from the 1946 film by David Lean. Set in the winter of 1938-39, it tells of Laura, an ordinary respectable housewife, and Alec, a doctor. Both are middle class and married (happily, they believe) to other people, when, after a chance meeting at Milford Junction Train Station, where Alec gallantly remove a piece of grit from Laura's eye, they embark on a 6-week affair. Your heart will lift at their new-found love and sink again as they struggle against their feelings to deny their destiny together - and the stirring up of countless memories of a true classic in the history of British film.

Cast/Performers

Jenny Seagrove, Elizabeth Power, Christopher Beeny, Amy Rogers, Christopher Cazenove, Brian Deacon, April Walker, Andrew Blair, Sion Lloyd

Creatives/Company

Author: Noel Coward
Producer: Bill Kenwright Ltd
Director: Roger Redfarn
Design: Martyn Bainbridge
Lighting: Chris Ellis
Adapted by: Andrew Taylor

Brief Encounter

Brief Encounter (Play) production archive for QTIX code T2051313193. Details of all Brief Encounter archived productions can be found under the QTIX code: S2653

Archive Listings

6 Sep 00
to
4 Nov 00

Lyric Theatre
West End, Greater London
Performance Details => Venue archive

Reviews

: 11Jan01:
A bland rehash of what must be truly one of the great films of the last century. I was very dissapointed although I should have expected it as the film was so good. Jenny Seagrove played Laura Jesson with a mood of doom & gloom from the outset and as the play went on, you really didn't care whether she committed the most cardinal sin of that era - a love affair with a married man while married herself. While the film's character (played with emotional conviction by Celia Johnson)captured the light hearted spirit and innocence of the woman and took you through her emotional despair, the play's Laura was just not interesting enough to bother with. The taped monologues were monotonous and dull and seemed out of place on the stage. I feel it would have been better for the actor to have spoken them live on stage between scene changes. Christopher Cazenove faired better as the tortured Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard in the film) torn between two women. His performance was more moving and gave the audience it's only real glimpse of the desparation of the affair. Elizabeth Power as Myrtle could not recapture the performance of Joyce Carey in the film and seemed not quite sure at times what type of voice she should have. There was not enough contrast between her posh and not so posh speeches. Christopher Beeny as Albert Godby gave the impression he was going to burst into pantomine song any moment and was a poor substitute for the film's Stanley Holloway. The saving grace in all this was the sets. Recreated in all their glory with meticulous attention to detail. The atmosphere of a waiting room at a station was very real and kudos should be given to the stage crew for this. All in all, a very dissapointing affair and one which I think would have been better left alone to the memory of the film. James Allen(Cambridge)

User Reviews

USER (11Jan01): A bland rehash of what must be truly one of the great films of the last century. I was very dissapointed although I should have expected it as the film was so good. Jenny Seagrove played Laura Jesson with a mood of doom & gloom from the outset and as the play went on, you really didn't care whether she committed the most cardinal sin of that era - a love affair with a married man while married herself. While the film's character (played with emotional conviction by Celia Johnson)captured the light hearted spirit and innocence of the woman and took you through her emotional despair, the play's Laura was just not interesting enough to bother with. The taped monologues were monotonous and dull and seemed out of place on the stage. I feel it would have been better for the actor to have spoken them live on stage between scene changes. Christopher Cazenove faired better as the tortured Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard in the film) torn between two women. His performance was more moving and gave the audience it's only real glimpse of the desparation of the affair. Elizabeth Power as Myrtle could not recapture the performance of Joyce Carey in the film and seemed not quite sure at times what type of voice she should have. There was not enough contrast between her posh and not so posh speeches. Christopher Beeny as Albert Godby gave the impression he was going to burst into pantomine song any moment and was a poor substitute for the film's Stanley Holloway. The saving grace in all this was the sets. Recreated in all their glory with meticulous attention to detail. The atmosphere of a waiting room at a station was very real and kudos should be given to the stage crew for this. All in all, a very dissapointing affair and one which I think would have been better left alone to the memory of the film. James Allen(Cambridge)

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