Teddington Theatre Club perform two classic short plays by Noel Coward, both dealing with relationships that break down in very different ways.
First up is Still Life which depicts the love affair between housewife Laura Jesson and Doctor Alec Harvey following their chance meeting in a railway station café. The play is instantaneously recognisable as the forerunner to Brief Encounter which Coward adapted for the Silver Screen in 1945.
Hampton Hill Theatre is utterly charming and the audience is greeted into the auditorium by the stationmaster as if arriving to board an imminent train. In this intimate setting we sit on the periphery of the café personally witnessing the clandestine relationship develop.
The pairing of Tracy Frankson as Laura and Charlie Golding as Alec worked well and the intensity of the romance is evident. As the emotions heighten Tracy Frankson’s portrayal of Laura is particularly convincing and the audience shares the sadness of the situation. Somewhat unlike Brief Encounter, this earlier script suggests a degree of manipulation by the doctor, and whilst Charlie’s performance is charming, there is an air of doubt as to his sincerity and a possibility that he is taking advantage of the situation.
This is contrasted by the playful romance between station staff Myrtle Bagot (Samantha McGill) and Albert Godby (Andy Smith) which brings a light interlude to the somewhat tragic relationship of Alec and Laura. Making a brief entrance at the end of the play is Diane Slater as Dolly and she pitches the self-absorbed, unaware acquaintance perfectly.
The pace changes dramatically after the interval, as the second half opens with a bang in a lively song, dance and comedy scene between husband and wife music hall entertainers George and Lily Pepper played by Steve Taylor and Lottie Walker. The play is fast paced and entertaining and the whole cast should be commended for the vibrancy of the characterisation. For me, Steve Taylor steals the show and must be a long established actor with the Teddington Theatre Club to pull off such a fine rendition of an overdone thespian.
The staging of both plays was wonderful with meticulous attention to detail from the glowing embers of the station coal burner, the lights and noise of the passing express trains and bright lights of the music hall.
This double-bill shows off Coward’s ability to understand and depict the human condition and is a real treat, with two plays for the price of one.
Still Life and Red Peppers is at Hampton Hill Theatre until November 25
