The iconic British theatre company begin their Australian tour with a Noel Coward classic.

Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, September 13, 2013

Noel Cowards’ Brief Encounter is a classic romance, gloriously transformed by Kneehigh for today’s audiences. The company, famed for its outstanding imagination, has played cleverly with a great script, a classic film, Coward’s music and the timeless quality of romantic dreams, to create a theatrical gem. British social etiquette meets vaudeville style and slapstick; it’s funny, touching and beautiful.

Noel Coward first wrote the story as a stage play, Still Life, in the 1930s. Then came World War II, when countries and individuals were changed irretrievably. But Coward’s famous love story endured and in the 1940s was given a new life on film, and a new name, Brief Encounter.

Kneehigh’s Brief Encounter begins before it’s even begun. The two leads, Laura and Alec, walk into the theatre with the rest of the audience and a band plays in the auditorium. It’s a great game, although a little hard to know quite where to look or what to do! Sitting close to the leading couple, I was tempted to lean over and speak to them but wasn’t sure if that would break...