Still Life

Before Brief Encounter there was Still Life, Noël Coward’s short play which originally formed part of the play cycle Tonight at 8.30. Across a handful of scenes, it depicts the relationship which forms between Alec and Laura after they meet by chance in a refreshment room at Milford Junction railway station – beginning with her needing assistance removing a piece of grit from her eye, and culminating in understated heartache. If you’ve ever wanted to step inside this world and bear witness to Alec and Laura’s quiet tragedy, then you now have the opportunity. Wild Pursuit Theatre have brought their immersive production of Still Life (first seen at The Mill at Sonning in 2022) to Theatre Royal Drury Lane’s Grand Saloon Bar; the luxurious surroundings are possibly a bit of an upgrade from the original Milford Junction setting, but the fact that it’s making use of a space in a currently dark theatre – and offering afternoon tea into the bargain – is a fantastic concept. You’re encouraged…