BRIEF ENCOUNTER

In a theatrical coup, State Theatre Company will bring legendary UK theatre company Kneehigh Theatre to Adelaide for the Australian premiere of the original production of their West End and Broadway hit Brief Encounter. This charming, funny and touching piece brings together Noël Coward's original stage play Still Life and David Lean’s classic 1945 film Brief Encounter, which starred Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson, along with a brilliant bunch of typically witty Coward songs including Mad About the Boy.

Lauded by critics and adored by audiences both sides of the Atlantic, Brief Encounter was nominated for 4 Olivier Awards, including Best Director, and 2 Tony Awards.

Brief Encounter from WeAreKneehigh on Vimeo.

Everyone longs to meet the man or woman of their dreams. But what happens if, when they do, each discovers that the other is already married? With an innocent speck of dust in Laura’s eye as the catalyst for a meeting with the handsome doctor Alec at the train station, one thing leads to another and our classic couple of impossible lovers soon realise a deeper connection between one another....but just what are they risking by playing out their fantasy? Is there such a thing as “it was meant to be”?

Played out in parallel are the trials and tribulations of two other couples, with the action interspersed with the timeless tunes and sparkling lyrics of that master of refined ennui, Noël Coward. The production features breath-taking visuals that bring together live action and re- created film sequences, Kneehigh’s characteristic knockabout physical humour and a healthy dose of good old-fashioned romance in one of the most disarmingly original theatre works of the last few years.

“Can many of us go through a lifetime without meeting someone and feeling a spark of recognition that we shouldn't, an attraction that goes beyond the physical? What a terrible world it would be if our emotions and spirits and psyches were amputated at the altar,” says Director Emma Rice.

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