I am now on the email trail to tell all my friends to go!.. A truly joyous and heart lifting performance.. How fantastic to see wit.. inqenuity.. creativity and style back in the West End ... no words.. as beautiful as Beryl's Buns. Honestly had to have jaw replacement surgey after this most wonderful work of art.. Well done .. what a fantatstic breath of fresh air.... I will be back! - andydjp
31 Jul 08
A mediocre production. It started really well and the first scene was superbly directed, but it went downhill from there. It had some very good moments, but it also had some silly ones. The performances were just ok and the direction was not strong. Special kudos to the cast who entertained the cast during the interval. - Manolis D.
05 Jul 08
Excellently staged adaptation of a sometimes over-revered film, but done in such a way as to charm both the fans of Brief Encounter and those who barely knew it. I have to disagree with Michael Coveney and say I found the parallels with Matter of Life and Death to be strong, but varied only by the different production budgets for the NT and Kneehigh's regional work. Given more spend, the clunkiness could be removed but for me it didn't detract from the evening. I do agree with Judith Evans that Amanda Lawrence's constant 'wackiness' was a touch too much, whilst undoubtedly a funny turn, it felt anachronistic and fractionally too crude a counterpoint to the subtler strumming and singing of the rest of the excellent cast. Although I think even 'The Master' would have rocked with laughter at her rendition of 'Alice Is At It Again'. Certainly didn't require the unexpected production of the proverbial kipper to raise a laugh! - John H
04 Jun 08
i thought this play was brilliant. tristan sturrock is a fabolous actor - Tristan sturrock's no.1fan)
02 Jun 08
Well it's a Kneehigh presentation so one is hardly surprised that it's all tres bonkers! Brief Encounter is a truly British film, a fact acknowledge by the judges when it won the Grand Prize of the Festival in 1946 at Cannes. What other country could produce such a stilted display of passion and still have us in tears at the end? My favourite scene, perhaps, is when Alec, Trevor Howard, explains to Laura, Celia Johnston, what his particular field of work is. Coward makes pneumonosilicosis as delivered by Howard sound positively erotic! To that end Tristan Sturrock, Alec, achieves that too and what a voice he has - I wish he's take a break from Kneehigh for a while and do some other things - come on producers! The leads are both excellent and the supporting cast, Beryl delightfully exotic Amanda Lawrence (her face is truly her fortune) and Fred/Albert, Andy Williams, all help this rollicking but affectionate send up take flight. Having said that though it missed the mark for me. I sat there imagining what could have been done rather than being satisfied with what had been done. Never mind it was a fun night and I came out humming the Rachmaninov, which incidentally, I don't think we got enough of, but still I maybe someone will grab a hold of it and knock it into shape - it has the potential for greatness. - rds
26 Apr 08
Kneehigh's characteristically inventive adaptation is amusing, well staged and exceptionally played but would have been better suited to a full-on parody like The 39 Steps. Noel Coward's more music hall style songs do not fit well with his story of frustrated romance, played perfectly straight by Naomi Frederick and Tristan Sturrock. You have to admire the total commitment of everyone involved but I'm afraid it didn't really work for me. - David Baxter
09 Apr 08
Another amazing show from The National Theatre of Cornwall. Beautifully conceived and executed, with all the bits Coward would have loved but was unable to realise in his day. Fantastic performances and yes J.E. you are the only one. Amanda Lawrence is an essential part of the perfect ensemble. - joesmith
30 Mar 08
Even by Kneehigh's exceptional standards, this is a gem. Much of the stagecraft is simple but highly effective, with an attention to detail that has you smiling at the smallest thing (ticking clocks!). It moves seamlessly from hilarity to poignancy. The projections are used brilliantly and the songs woven in as if they always belonged there. In many ways it is invidious to single out anyone in a highly talented cast, but I have to say that everything about Naomi Frederick's interpretation of Laura is spot on - movement, posture, expression and voice as well as dress, hair and make-up - and Tamzin Griffin and Amanda Lawrence provide one of the greatest comic double-acts I have ever seen
onstage. Simply terrific. - Gareth James
21 Mar 08
Brilliant! - Graham
10 Mar 08
I've got to buck the trend on the reviews here. It was nice, naive and charming BUT the comedy continually cuts in too early - undercutting the romance, or the poigancy, between the two lovers. Some of the transitions between scenes were incredibly clunky -especially towards the end once the express train has passed and Naomi Fredrick has to find her way back onto the stage. It's a jolly night - with a few too many tricks and one too many songs. If this is total theatre it is in a very Middle-England, stiff upper lip, way. Not quite my cup of tea. - Neil
03 Mar 08
breathtaking experience. beautiful, moving, exciting and poignant. It restored my faith in the west end. thank you. - M
29 Feb 08
breathtaking experience. beautiful, moving, exciting and poignant. It restored my faith in the west end. thank you. - M
29 Feb 08
Total theatre, from the time you walk into the foyer to final curtain down. - Wezza
29 Feb 08
Stunning and magical. Definitely reccomend this. Cast and design are excellent. Very funny and moving. there's nothing like this experience in london at the moment - Mike
20 Feb 08
I enjoyed it, but actually found Amanda Lawrence's performance rather overblown and irritating,she did somthing "wacky" in nearly every scene to the detriment of the story telling. Am I the only one who thought this? Otherwise I agree with everyone else - some magical moments and a must see. - Judith Evans
18 Feb 08
This is a show that has everything, songs, comedy, acrobatics, music but especially a tear jerking love story. For fans of the film "Brief Encounter" it is faithful, for fans of Noel Coward it is more rich than any other Coward show I have seen featuring songs, poems, and words from the Screenplay of "Brief Encounter" and the script of the play it is based on "Still Life", for fans of Kneehigh they have not sold out to the West End but stayed faithful to their trademark sense of fun and romance, for fans of the West End it has brought not only a new venue, but also a whole new theatrical event to London setting this theatre piece in a cinema.
The effortless effects are staggering, both in the use of film and how it seamlessly interacts with the live theatre and also how Kneehigh use puppets, arial work and music. This cast are truly blessed as their talents seem limitless.
Next time I am going to take my mum and my gran as they never like anything, but I know that you would have to have a heart of stone not to appreciate this radiant piece of theatre. As with Rocky Horror so many years ago, history is being made at the Cinema on the Haymarket and I urge you to be a part of it. - TTK
18 Feb 08
A magical production, every last detail thought through. Superbly performed by an excellent ensemble cast and brilliantly staged. can't fault it in any way!!! GO SEE! - M
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