TOWER THEATRE – UNTIL 25th APRIL 2026
REVIEWED BY JACKIE THORNTON
4****
A five-piece band carries us back to 1940s wartime England and the quaint station cafe that is the setting for Noel Coward’s iconic Brief Encounter. In Emma Rice’s stage version the classic melodrama is given an injection of music and dance that also artfully captures the spirit of its cinematic origin.
Victoria Flint and Dom Ward’s performances as the forbidden lovers Laura and Alec, whose meet-cute at the station one ordinary Thursday afternoon spurns a yearning and passion that neither have felt before, share a convincing chemistry and feel like they could have stepped off the set of David Lean’s film. This is a story of longing and restraint made even more poignant by its subtle wartime backdrop.
The supporting cast of paired lovers, cafe owner Myrtle (Deborah Ley is wonderfully domineering and chirpy) and station manager Albert (Matthew Vickers) add comic relief as they steal away for secret trysts, and waitress Beryl (Imogen Front’s stunning vocals are a delight) and her beau Stanley (Tom Lafferty’s cheeky presence and winning tenor really helps shape the whole play) pile on yet more energy as a young courting couple. James Taverner and Fiyin Ifebogun take on a raft of colourful characters with humour and style.
Noel Coward’s unmistakable language and wit is brilliantly capitalised upon by a talented cast guided by Rob Ellis’s precise direction. He squeezes every last drop of tension from the tragic love story; transitions are slick and brief musical interludes create a natural rhythm to the narrative. Ivy Thorne’s costume design feels authentically 1940s and does not distract while the relatively small stage is used efficiently in David Taylor’s set design, which transports us from the station to Laura’s suburban home and even a visit to a lake. Much thought and care has gone into this production and the quality of musicianship, led by Jonathan Norris, is impressive overall.
Slick staging, canny performances and wonderful music, building on the legacy of the film.