Review: Jack and Sarah (The Mill at Sonning)

Review by Daz Gale

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The Mill at Sonning has been mixing it up with their programming lately. The intimate and welcoming dinner-theatre just outside of Reading is largely known for its productions of classics, filling its year with a mixture of farces and musicals. However, recent years have seen them pepper in a premiere or two along the way, and the news of their latest got me very excited. Jack & Sarah was a movie I used to watch quite often as a kid (perhaps a weird choice of movie, but I was certainly a weird kid). Despite its star cast (Richard E. Grant, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench), it doesn’t seem to be one many remember, and it has been interesting to have conversations with people who had mostly forgotten about its existence until this world premiere stage adaptation was announced. I entered the theatre with a fondness for the story and a sense of nostalgia - would this stage premiere be able to bring new life to the story, or would it have been better left on the screen?

Released in 1995, Jack & Sarah became a bit of a cult favourite, growing to a wider audience after its successful cinema release through television and home viewing. It, unsurprisingly, tells the story of Jack & Sarah… or Sarahs, plural, to be precise. Renovating their home in time for the imminent arrival of their first child, Sarah tragically dies after giving birth to their daughter, leaving Jack to raise her alone… or so he thinks. His father and mother-in-law are on hand to help, but it is the unlikely people he meets along the way that create an unlikely family for baby Sarah, with Jack’s new homeless friend, William, and an American food delivery driver who helps Jack to escape the darkness and find meaning in his new life as a single parent.

This is a story with a lot of heart, and Duncan Abel’s adaptation ensures that it remains prominent throughout. Those familiar with the movie will notice a lot of changes to some characters and relationships, with the story being modernised to the present day. Perhaps it is all a little too sanitised in places, and lacks a little bit of the grit needed - while the heart is still there, it would benefit from some of the heaviness that went hand in hand with it, offering the ultimate payoff and the sense of feeling even more full after finishing.

At its heart, Jack & Sarah is a sweet story, with moments of humour and an overarching narrative that proves heartwarming. Abel has also included a smattering of musical numbers, along with Anya De Villiers for her character of Amy to perform. Reimagining the character as a songwriter is a clever way of translating the story for the stage, and the numbers stand alongside the source material with their own strength. It is a shame these are only introduced in the second act, as the musical moments are among the best in the show, and a handful more earlier on to break up the action would have surely been welcome.

Speaking of, Anya De Villiers is a magnetic force in her performance of Amy, ensuring the audience falls in love with her every bit as much as the characters in the play do. It is a strength shared by the talented cast, who fill the story with life. George Banks gives a sometimes exaggerated portrayal of Jack, where some moments could have called for smaller or more subtle moments. Banks captures the terrible situation Jack has been thrust into, and makes sure the humanity and love for the story are clear to see. Lucy Doyle showcases versatility with two contrasting roles as Sarah and Anna, while Lee White has a small but memorable part as Nat. Neil Roberts similarly doesn’t have as much to do as Jack’s father, Michael, but makes his presence felt with a great dynamic with Jack, while the fittingly named Sarah Moyle gives a fantastic turn as the late Sarah’s mother, Phil.

The standout in the cast, however, is undoubtedly Rufus Hound as William. From his surprising first appearance, Hound keeps a sense of eccentricity, delivered with a real panache that makes his performance electric. William is a mysterious character, and though he is far from perfect, his journey is responsible for a lot of heart in the story, leading to some of the funnier moments as well as some of the more heartwarming ones. Hound is a gifted performer, especially when it comes to comedic turns, and he demonstrated this on a particularly noisy Saturday afternoon when he effortlessly threw in an ad-lib to admonish an audience member who seemed to ignore their phone going off constantly. Perhaps not in the original script, but it received the biggest laugh of the night and was played perfectly as a cherry on top for what was already an exceptional performance.

Abigail Pickard Price’s direction knows how to elicit the biggest response from the audience, largely in the funnier, sillier moments. There is a sense that some aspects could have been pulled back slightly to allow for more nuance to creep in, and not every line needed to have been conveyed in the exaggerated ways they were, but for the most part, it was a success. Terry Parsons’ set design begins with Jack and Sarah’s home mid-renovation, missing a roof and a front door. Its gradual renovation steps up a gear during the interval, which I referred to as “twenty-minute makeover”, ensuring a stunning transformation as the audience took their seats for the second Act. And for anyone wondering, no, a real baby isn’t used, though the doll that replaces it is eerily lifelike.

Of course, no trip to The Mill at Sonning would be complete without mentioning the overall experience. Though they now offer tickets to the show alone, this is primarily a dinner theatre where a high-standard two-course meal precedes the main event. Its picturesque setting led to breathtakingly beautiful views on a Saturday afternoon that proved the best of both worlds - blissful sunshine before the show, and heavy rain on the way out. While some may think it is a bit too far out to venture for the theatre, Reading being a stop on the Elizabeth Line means it’s easier and more affordable to visit there than ever before, and I would encourage every London lover to make a trip there at some point (especially with the shows they have coming up later this year) to experience its beauty and magic for yourself.

I think I had forgotten just how much I loved Jack & Sarah as a story until I saw this stage adaptation. It carries with it a message of finding light in the darkness and unexpected joys that can come from awful tragedies. Still as heartwarming in 2026 as it was in 1995, this adaptation takes the essence of the original story and isn’t afraid to mix it up with some new choices. Admittedly, not every choice works quite as well, but the ones they do make this a solid and enjoyable watch, thanks in large part to the welcome inclusion of music and its incredible cast. Another example of the fine quality you can expect at The Mill at Sonning that has made it a favourite of mine to visit over the last five years, Jack & Sarah births more life into the already fabulous theatre.

Jack & Sarah plays at The Mill at Sonning until 14th June. Tickets from https://millatsonning.com/Events/jack-and-sarah/ 

Photos by Pamela Raith