‘Still Life’, the play that inspired David Lean’s ‘Brief Encounter’, has come to life in an immersive new production in the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with the audience enjoying a rather lavish afternoon tea in the pretend tearoom of Milford Junction railway station, writes Michael Holland.
Noël Coward’s play turns a chance meeting between two married strangers into one of the most iconic love stories ever told between suburban housewife Laura Jesson and the ‘preventative medicine’ doctor, Alec Harvey, who, after a brief encounter, continue to meet at the station café over the course of several weeks.
As I enjoyed Earl Grey and an array of sandwiches, savouries, and the most divine confections, beneath the grandest chandeliers in the theatre’s sumptuous Grand Saloon Bar, the action of this 60-minute masterpiece went on all around us.
First, we were introduced to the Milford Junction station staff: Antony Jardine as ticket inspector Albert has his eye on Myrtle (Elizabeth Elvin), who runs the station buffet, wooing her with his ukulele between train departures. In his other role as Stanley, he is trying to get up close and personal with the waitress (Seren Sandham-Davies). But it’s the appearance of Laura Jesson (Rachel Pickup) and Alasdair Craig as Doctor Alec Harvey that we’re waiting for.
We all know how the story goes; their innocent meeting eventually turns into declarations of love and secret liaisons in the politest and most genteel of ways – most befitting for the mid-1930s. It is painful to watch this ordinary couple drawn together by love while she is a mother of three; a fact that troubles her throughout the play. But love is a very powerful emotion. It makes good people do bad things. Yet, sad as it is to all of us who watch their feelings grow, it is no surprise when Laura decides against leaving her old life behind to start a new one.
The beauty of this immersive production is not just being right next to Albert as he gets down on one knee to propose to Myrtle, but the producer’s brilliant idea of placing the theatre reviewers on tables of two with a member of the opposite sex, thereby recreating the same scenario of strangers meeting by chance in a railway station tearoom. Would the courting and flirting in the play be absorbed subconsciously by the audience? Would hearts melt over a lemon meringue tartlet off the cake stand of goodies they were sharing? Would they too make arrangements to meet after this random liaison?
I was paired up with the lovely Lina from Woking, her shocking pink nail varnish perfectly complementing her summery dress. We spoke of our working-class backgrounds. I promised I’d give her a name-check. We promised to read each other’s reviews. As our eyes locked for the last time as we said our goodbyes through the dry ice, I wondered if we’d randomly be thrown together again at the Richmond Theatre, when we’ll both be reviewing Noël Coward’s Present Laughter in a couple of weeks…
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Grand Saloon Bar, Catherine Street, WC2B 5JF until September 12th.
Booking and full details for this high-class entertainment: https://ticketing.lwtheatres.co.uk/event/81432?date=2026-09
