Whatsonstage.com Discussion Board: Brief Encounter Dress Rehearsal - Whatsonstage.com Discussion Board

Oh my gosh. Went to see the invited dress of this last night as they sent an email to ALRA. It was fantastic, I've always been a massive fan of knehigh but there was something so special about seein gthis show in a cinema. The place is beautiful, an old cinema built in the 20's which has been reverted to its original (and i think more worthy) use as a theatre. As you walk through the lovely rance hall red rses and old film canisters are strewn around and theres a sumptuous feeling of stepping back into 1940's picture house.
Insiside the theatre, or should i say screen 1 (it can be rather confusing, but that's part of the joy) you're greeted by wonderful ushers singing you in to your seats and welcoming all with Coward songs (take alook up at the relief on the ceiling and the wonderful chandeliers...and it's true; being a cinema...or did i say theatre?...every seat is fantastic!)
As the lights go down a screen is revealed, the live theatre is back to a cinema and the opening credits on Brief Encounter begin to roll...It's 40's England and the Jesson homestead Alec and Laura ... I could go on but i'd just end up telling you the whole thing, it was fantastic and every bit seems worth telling you about but i'd like you to se it as fresh as i did. It was one of the most magical evenings I've had at the theatre in ages and what the west end needs right now, something different which is full of class but also warmth and excitement and passion. We don't need anymore star castings what we need is stella creations and the kind of vision that makes soemthing so wonderful come about. I urge you to see this.

Oldskool, I too have just seen this show. Had friends over from New York for the weekend and after a leisurely lunch they suggested that we could "catch a show", after explaining that in this is London and we don't really beleive in seeing theatre on a sunday as it is the devil's work, we asked the doorman at their hotel if we could see anything. Though he hadn't seen it he suggested that we check out the new show in town that plays sunday - Brief Encounter in a cinema! Off we trundled and OMG!!!

This show is incredible, it uses film and live theatre seamlessly. The amazing cast sing, dance, literally swing from chandeliers, play every instrument under the sun and tell a story which will make you laugh your socks off and break your heart all at the same time.

Probably the rest of the audience had at least seen the film before, however myself and my american friends did not even know the story, so we were on the edge of our seats. Will they? Won't they? etc etc However this is not will they, won't they do the dirty, but will they, won't they make you blub? and the answer is a resounding YES! All of us cried and it was a little old lady next to me who passed me a tissue.

After the start of the day when I had been slagging off British theatre for having no imagination to think that some of us might want to go to the theatre on a sunday, we left the cinema on a cloud having seen a piece of theatre which defies imagination. The music is amazing and the visual spectical will (to quote a line from the play) stay with me always...

PS AND I had a seat in row F centre for....wait for it.... 29.50!!