Stage Review Still Life - Chatsworth Players

at the tearoom till point Milford Junction Station. Still Life Chatsworth Players October 2025 at Whitworth Centre, Darley Dale

Still Life

by Noel Coward

Directed by Grace Day

Still Life  is a short play with five scenes, last night’s performance was the first of three at Whitworth Centre, Darley Dale this October.

The setting is the tearoom at Milford Junction Station, decades before British decimalisation, of course, but where food and drink items cost, jokingly, just a few decimal pence each.

Alec and Laura are married to other people, they are regularly sat at the same table after their chance meeting at the station's tearoom has escalated to an affair. The convivial chat and happy excitement of having enjoyed secret dates away from the station is replaced by more hushed and urgent talking when they meet, more outward expressions of sadness about their hopeless situation and more conflict of emotions about what to do and where to go. Burdened with guilt in regard to their loved ones (who we never see) Alec and Laura decide to end the affair and go their separate ways. 

The seriousness of the dilemma of the two contrasts with everyday life at the station with mild flirtation and friendly banter going on. The most poignant scene being when talkative, Dolly, an acquaintance of Laura, loudly and unknowingly, gatecrashes and steals away the tender moment of final separation between the two protagonists; Laura barely able to hold it together as she sees Alec walk out of her life forever.

The late film director, David Lean based his 1945 film Brief Encounter on this play.

Comment

A directing debut for, Grace Day, herself a player with the company, and the saving grace about this one is that the authenticity and mood of the play is not lost. A shaky start, but once cast of ten members relaxed, the majority were fine once in the groove. However, some important dialogue overlapped and speech was lost altogether through poor articulation. Alicia Hill (Laura) and Phil McGough (Alec) fail to convince, as McGough’s attention tends to be on the delivery of his lines alone. 

This production falls a little short of the company’s usual high standard, but is entertaining enough.

ENDS

Still Life Chatsworth Players Review by Theatre Critic Debra Hall who attended the Thursday 16 October performance at 7.30pm

References

Chatsworth Players Still Life printed programme

Chatsworth Players Still Life https://www.chatsworthplayers.com/stilllife