THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
From the film by Andrew Haigh, adapted for the stage by Hannah Patterson
Minerva Theatre Chichester, Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6AP until July 11, 2026
This is the world premiere of an adaptation of the acclaimed 2015 film by the great Andrew Haigh, a profound and beautifully observed psychological thriller which starred Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay. Rampling deservedly got Oscar nominated and it won top prizes at Berlin Film Festival.
Chichester casting has pulled off a coup here by attracting Irish star Gabriel Byrne, over from Maine for the summer, to partner with Geraldine James, one of our most reliably brilliant and acclaimed actors.
The story revolves around a childless Norfolk couple, Geoff and Kate, rather reluctantly preparing for their 45th wedding anniversary party in the grand Assembly House when news arrives that the perfectly preserved body of Geoff's ex-girlfriend has been discovered in a Swiss glacier 50 years after she fell. As it progresses, we learn that Geoff has been economical with the full truth of what happened. The piece makes us ponder on the persistence of the past in our lives and the instability of the present; about living with the choices you make; and most intriguingly, how much do we really know anyone, even our partners?
Hannah Patterson has adapted it with great delicacy, deciding to keep it as an intense chamber piece and it runs just 85 minutes straight through. This is one situation though where perhaps a bigger canvas would have helped in making it work on stage.
Director Prasanna Puwanarajah maintains the filmic style with brisk elliptical scenes punctuated by blackouts featuring 1960s pop classics from which Kate is trying to choose for the party. This matches the cadences of the film, but it also means we lose something. In the film, close ups and framing revealed so much and Patterson hasn’t really found a vocabulary to match that here. Fans of the film will recall the final scene as the couple dance to ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ which becomes increasingly awkward until it is almost rigid and Kate yanks Geoff’s arm down while he appears to carry on oblivious. That spoke volumes and you knew this marriage was over, but here the emotional devastation of moments like that are missing. This is more tentative but also it means it lacks dramatic tension.
Nevertheless this duo provides a masterclass of acting, accompanied by Gillian Bevan who is also compelling as Kate’s best friend Lena, who was always somewhat wary of Geoff. Byrne has the stillness which makes him a great film actor, and he perfectly captures the egotistical assurance of Geoff and how it can spill over into grumpy old man, but also the agony he is going through trying to reconcile all this. James is utterly convincing too as Kate, initially supportive and being adult and sensible about it all until a visit to the attic uncovers more than she’d bargained for.
James Cotterill’s gray minimalist set avoids clunky scene changes and has a slanting ceiling with a hard-to-reach loft hatch which becomes central to the plot. His gloomy set greatly adds to the mood of the couple’s growing isolation. Geoff’s concern about global warming (the reason the ice melted, and Katya’s preserved body was found) is represented too by a constant dribble of water. Again, a nice touch as this is about a slow dribble of revelation.
This is worth catching for this cast but in many ways is a missed opportunity.
