Review: Still Life (Grand Saloon Bar, Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Theatre Royal Drury Lane has the honour of being one of the largest and most iconic theatres in the West End. For the last year it has been home to Hercules and is currently sitting empty ahead of a trio of productions moving in (The Last Ship, Jesus Christ Superstar followed by the hotly anticipated West End transfer of The Greatest Showman next Spring). There is more to the theatre than its main auditorium, however, and so it was a trip upstairs to the Grand Saloon bar on a Monday afternoon as the rest of the theatre was being de-Hercufied for a different bit of theatre. Transforming the space into the tearoom of a rail station, Still Life travels to London following a well-received run at the Mill at Sonning, but would there still be life in this brief production, or would this encounter leave me with a funny taste.
Debuting 90 years ago, in 1936, Noël Coward’s Still Life is a one-act play that inspired the film, Brief Encounter. Set in the tearoom of Milford Junction railway station, Myrtle is responsible for running it, having to deal with flirty ticket inspectors and the various customers that travel through as they are waiting for their train. Two of those customers happen to be housewife Laura and married physician Alec, who begin an affair, meeting in this railway cafe regularly with the various stages of their relationship depicted in each scene.
This production isn’t merely a re-staging of that play - it attempts to become much more of an interactive experience by having the audience in the thick of the action. After enjoying afternoon tea (more on that shortly), the cast appear and begin the play around the bar with the audience getting to be in the heart of it, sat at their tables. I always enjoy new and different ways to bring theatre to audiences, and Still Life is an inventive new way of doing this. Less conventional theatre, more an afternoon out, this experience is perfect for those who love an afternoon tea with the added bonus of enjoying a bit of theatre straight after. Almost treated as two separate courses, each element complements the other, creating a swift and enjoyable couple of hours that will fill you up in every sense of the word.
A very British institution, there is a timelessness to the motion of afternoon tea which adds to the setting of this play, transporting us back to a very different time without ever needing to get on a train (apart from the one you may take to get to Drury Lane, that is). Sandwiches, sausage rolls, scones and cakes are all served to you with a helping of tea and coffee. In this production, the food and service is every bit as relevant as the show itself, and I am pleased to report it was all absolutely delicious. If the cakes weren’t sweet enough, the show taking place immediately after the tea acted as the perfect dessert.
Using the space of the Grand Saloon bar is a great concept, filling an area that is mostly used while people wait for their show to begin or to congregate in the interval. As is the case with the entire theatre, it is a beautiful setting, lending itself well to the historic nature of the play, though it did come with its challenges. Not the most natural performance space, the sound wasn’t quite the greatest, making some parts difficult to hear.
With the large bar in the middle of the space, it meant every seat had a restricted view at some point of the play - while this can’t be helped and the cast did an admirable job circling the space to ensure these obstructed views were minimal, I got the impression that slightly more could have been done to reduce this, such as moving the piano to an area more people would have been able to see, and perhaps repositioning the tables slightly so that the actors only had to perform to three sides, rather than four, thus improving the sightlines for everyone. Perhaps a minor quibble given the quality of the food, performance and experience, but something that stopped this getting that all important fifth star. Though, if I’m being honest, the atrocity that was committed with a cast member putting milk in before the water was far more concerning than anything else!
Noël Coward’s writing remains every bit as captivating today, and Still Life feels quintessentially Coward, with Tam Williams’ direction finding creative ways to bring the story to life in this most unconventional of spaces, using the same methods when this production began its life at the Mill at Sonning in 2022. Among the strong cast, Rachel Pickup is a highlight in a sweet performance as Laura, creating a convincing dynamic with Alasdair Craig’s Alec. Elizabeth Elvin is an absolute delight as Myrtle, perfectly keeping a sense of order amongst the chaos and proving a comic highlight, particularly when it comes to her delivery of “Cake or pastry”. Antony Jardine and Seren Sandham-Davies complete the cast taking on a multitude of roles as well as bringing some musicality to the show, playing instruments and singing for good measure.
Bringing theatre to places where it isn’t usually is a personal joy of mine, even when that unusual place happens to be in a theatre itself. Ensuring the Grand Saloon bar bursts with life, Still Life is a novel use of the space with an abundance of creativity bringing afternoon tea and theatre together in a way that feels natural and as if it was always meant to be. The result is an exciting new experience that is sure to thrill a wide range of audiences and guaranteed to be an affair to remember. Be quick though, as the production is only there for a brief encounter and must end this Saturday.
Still Life plays at the Grand Saloon bar in Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 12th September. Tickets from https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/still-life/