Two short plays: Come Into the Garden, Maud & Still Life

9th to 11th October 2025 | Broadbent Theatre, Wickenby

The 1945 film Brief Encounter quickly became a classic British movie and a box office smash, described by many as a true masterpiece. The inimitable Noël Coward wrote the screenplay, but it was based on a short play he had written and starred in a decade earlier: Still Life.

We have long wanted to tell the story of Alec and Laura’s doomed love affair on the stage, so we jumped at the chance to produce it. We paired it with another short Coward play, Come Into the Garden, Maud, which deals with related themes of love, marriage, duty and temptation.

This production required two different casts, two directors and two sets flexible enough to be changed over during a short 20-minute interval. As expected, our stage manager Nick and the stage crew made this feat look easy.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming theatre company free of cliques and jealousies when new members join. So it was particularly pleasing to cast eight newcomers in our company of 14 actors and also recruit a new set builder and a new props wizard!

But it was not all plain sailing: from the day of the audition to opening night three cast members had to pull out for one very good reason or another. We are deeply grateful therefore to Su Toogood, who produced the show, directed Maud, took charge of props and costumes and then volunteered two days before we opened to take on the part of Stanley, not a bit daunted by the fact that she was well outside her comfort zone playing the amorous and cheeky young station boy!

The show attracted audiences totalling 257 and the reviews were positive:

“Fantastic night last night, congratulations to everyone. Brilliant performances and productions.” – John Edmondson

“It is a wonderful double bill, brilliantly staged and beautifully acted. The ever-tightening anquish between Alec and Laura in Still Life is palpable and the dynamics in playing out Coward’s sharp characterisations in the opener were very impressive by all four players. Great work (as ever) Common Ground Theatre Company.” – Jason Hippisley

“I came to watch this evening, they were both very good, but the emotion of the couple in Still Life was palpable, and the contrast of the darkness and light with the antics at the café counter was superb. Well done to all involved.” 
– Anna Maria Vesey

“What a fabulous night last night at the Broadbent Theatre. So many of my friends up on the stage in Noël Coward’s double bill: Anita Quigley playing the free-spirited Maud, Su Toogood a very funny stand-in for one of the actors, the beautiful Fraya Bethany Grove, not forgetting the unstoppable Jez Ashberry. Everybody was so good.” 
–  Jerry Smith 

“Just wanted to say the plays I saw on Thursday [were both] absolutely phenomenal. Common Ground really do live up to standards so looking forward to seeing what you bring to life next.” – Ben Harris

“Superb production, well done guys!” – Malcolm Tresadern