THEATRE 
REVIEWS
Brief Encounter
West Yorkshire Playhouse
Leeds
ENGLAND
Fleeting
What Nëol Coward would have made of Kneehigh Theatre's offering of Brief Encounter is anyone’s guess. It all depends on what you want from your evenings out at the theatre. This offering will satisfy some and annoy others, but there is fun mixed up in the drama which will work for some and not for others. What you remember days later will give it marks out of ten in your own scheme of things.
We have the obligatory scaffolding disguised in square section as a railway footbridge, designed by Neil Murray and lit by Malcolm Rippeth, on which the actors travel from one position to the next and sometimes using it on which to make speeches relating to the plot. All the speeches are audible and in clear English, but why the face mikes, can they not sing loud enough? Yes, there is singing, the music for which is supplied by Stu Barker, which verges on times prior to this setting. A lot of the gimmicks used in this production for effect have been seen before and it would have been nice to have seen some originality. This said, the production adapted by Emma Rice hung together under her direction, but was more reminiscent of a string of sketches by performance artists than a well contracted play.
We had the usual start with the cast entering the auditorium and interacting with the audience. Two women looking remarkably like men playing musical instruments and others dressed as ushers and usherettes to give a sense of the period to the theatre. They made their way to the stage and intermingled with the sparse props of coal heaps, a piano come counter and railway waiting room tables and chairs. On stage a cinema screen displayed the Board Censors certificate and the scene was set.
Tristan Sturrock and Naomi Frederick in lighter mood
The musicians Pete Judge and Alex Vann gave a varied selection of music as the cast went about their tasks. Tristan Sturrock and Naomi Frederick gave us the two main characters Alec, a doctor and Laura a disillusioned housewife. Around these we had the station staff with their intrigues Myrtle (Tamzin Griffin), Beryl (Amanda Lawrence), Stanley, Stuart McLoughlin and Andy Williams playing Fred and Albert. All gave spirited performances giving just what was needed for their allotted character. What was the cigarette made of that was being smoked on stage, for when it made its way amongst the audience it smelt like a bonfire - why should the audience be made to put up with this intrusion?
Well, if the audience did not expect too much they were well satisfied. Those who looked for fun will have found some, but those who were looking for a Nëol Coward play will have been disappointed. The followers of this company's usual presentation might have wondered, so what's new. BA ©
“Brief Encounter” is in Leeds on the 24 October until the 10 November, 2007. Council car parking charge £1 from 5.30pm until 10pm. This is now a No Smoking theatre.
Is there an Air Conditioning certificate prominently displayed in your theatre foyer stating the date of manufacture of the appliance and when the system was last inspected and serviced - if not, complain to the theatre management.
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