Last weekend we spent a very enjoyable afternoon and evening in Keswick and Derwentwater. The afternoon started with a stroll along the shore of Derwentwater and then a meal at Lodore Falls Hotel's Mizu. This was all fabulous but the highlight of the day was a performance of Brief Encounter at the Theatre by the Lake.
When I booked this performance, we realised that neither of us has ever watched the original film. And this is in spite of living so close to Carnforth, the original railway setting and the famous station clock.
So, the play was totally new for both of us and we really enjoyed it. The cast was excellent and we were blown away by the dancing, music and singing, as well as the acting.
The performance was delivered in the round, the theatre was totally transformed, and this gave the play a feeling of intimacy, which worked really well.
We loved the three love stories all running in parallel. The innocent love story of the young couple and the flirtatious love story of the older couple. Both of these provided an excellent foil to the main story of Laura and Alex.
There was a stillness at the heart of this performance which was deeply moving. The ending, in particular, was pared back and simple. Fred, Laura’s gentle, unassuming husband, was played with empathy and understanding, a man only hinting that he might well know what is going on, yet will remain loyal throughout. Simply beautiful.
