There's one thing Kneehigh Theatre wants you to know heading into BRIEF ENCOUNTER: this show is romantic. And it most certainly is - in the most British way imaginable. Director/writer Emma Rice's adaptation of the 1945 David Lean/Noel Coward film is a stunning mix of theatre, film and music that is as imaginative as it is achingly romantic.
Laura and Alec are two Londoners who meet by chance in a train station café. The attraction is immediate, and their relationship grows as they meet again and again. As mutual attraction becomes physical attraction and love, Laura begins to contemplate turning to Alec over her boring husband. The tension between them frays as they both analyze their real lives and try to decide which life is worth fighting for.
It's a very inward piece - Alec and particularly Laura think about their troubles rather than express them - but Rice's inventiveness serves this well. This is where the melding of theatre and film is astonishingly successful. Aside from a few tricks here and there - characters jumping into the screen and appearing on film - the cinematic effects illuminate the characters' innermost thoughts. Whether they be waves of emotion flooding over them or past memories resurfacing, the sequences brilliantly evoke conflict and longing without making a sound.
Rice also relies heavily on the music. At first, the musical numbers serve as transitions from one scene to another. Often played for comic effect, much like in a music hall, the songs are funny and well-performed - but don't hold much weight on the story. It isn't until later when plot and songs finally integrate that Rice latches onto something. A soft, cooing rendition of "Go Slow, Johnny" underscores an intimate moment between the two would-be lovers, and it's a classic moment. Much of the music's success relies on the small ensemble performing them. Joseph Alessi, Beverly Rudd,
Annette McLaughlin, Stuart Mcloughlin, and Daniel Canham are thoroughly charming and utterly hilarious every moment they grace the stage - they're a pure joy to watch.
The play is well-served by its leads, even if the ensemble often proves more interesting. Hannah Yelland is all English reserve and strength as Laura, and despairs well. As Alec, Milo Twomey is a bit too earnest in his proclamations of love, but works well with Yelland in the softer moments. The aforementioned "Go Slow, Johnny" sequence is the closest thing to a seduction; it's a marvelously sexual, beautifully restrained scene - thanks in no small part to the actors' skills playing off each other.
BRIEF ENCOUNTER is a true experience - a mixture of cinema, theatre and music that succeeds on nearly every level. For fans of unabashed romances, there's nothing better. This is the show's final stop on its three-city US tour after San Francisco and New York, and we're certainly blessed to receive it. In these days when it seems everyone is playing with different mediums, it's wonderful to finally see a show that gets all the elements right - and doesn't shortchange the story.
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