Brief Encounter – Kneehigh Theatre

Overview

Released in 1945 and directed by David Lean, the film Brief Encounter was adapted from Noel Coward's one-act play, Still Life. It tells the story of Laura and Alec, who fall in love after a chance meeting at a train station but, both trapped in bland yet affectionate marriages, are never able to fulfil their mutual passion. The Guardian's 2010 critics' poll selected Brief Encounter as the best romance movie of all time.

In 2008, dynamic UK theatre company Kneehigh (whose Red Shoes was a memorable part of the 2011 Sydney Festival) decided to return the tale to the stage with an epic production combining drama, film, live music and vaudeville. After a successful nine-month run at London's Haymarket Cinema, it toured the UK before jumping the Atlantic to play several seasons in the US. Now, it's on its way to Australia, playing Melbourne, Perth, Wollongong and Sydney.