EDITOR'S NOTE: Why We'll Miss TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN

There's a fairly strong consensus that Too Close To The Sun was a flop. It was the second in an apparently ever-extending line of John Robinson-Roberto Trippini collaborations, and this one lasted less than a month (if you include the previews at the Comedy Theatre).

Yet I cannot remember any show that has inspired such debate among theatre-lovers. Every time I've met up with a friend over the past four weeks, sooner or later one of us will ask the question, "So - have you seen it yet?" I genuinely now divide my friends into those of us who have seen it, and those of us who haven't, and those on the other side of the line can never fully understand our newly-ingrained perception of the world, nor join in all our heated conversations.

Admittedly, most of the conversations centre on which the worst part was (I'm sticking with the scene where Rex's recorded voiceover describes the possibilities offered by a biographical film, while Ernie stares into the middle distance like John Barrowman in Torchwood singing about being strong and silent, when he is demonstrably neither) and plaintive questions about what the highly talented cast saw in the material. Even so, to have a common topic that everyone feels strongly about is intensely unusual.

And for us reserved British to talk to strangers in public - well, that takes an event of epic proportions. At my first visit, my friend and I chatted to the group behind us at the interval, after one of them had tapped my companion on his shoulder and asked straightfaced, "Excuse me, why were you laughing?" before exploding into giggles. Tonight, at the final performance, two nice ladies came over to our little huddle and announced to us, "We can't take any more. We're leaving." Behind us, two very pleasant young women tucked into their sushi and noodles, explaining that they were expecting an interesting play about Hemingway rather than the musical mish-mash unfolding in front of us.

The only ones outside this newly-formed tight-knit community are those involved in the show, and indeed it's been difficult to know how to react to them, both on stage (when they do their absolute best with what they've got) and off (I'm unsure whether the correct etiquette is to congratulate or commiserate). Regardless, I'd genuinely and sincerely like to thank all of those involved in Too Close To The Sun - yes, it was slated, and yes, it closed extremely quickly, but you can go on in your careers knowing that you were part of the theatre event of 2009, and for that, we will always be grateful.

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