Less Than Kind
By Terence Rattigan
In Association with Planet Theatre Productions Ltd
Cast includes: Sara Crowe, James Wilby
London, 1944. The war is reaching its climax on the beaches of Normandy, but a senior minister has problems, not just in supplying the front line with tanks, but also on the home front.
He has been having a passionate but illicit affair with an attractive war widow, but now her son, who had been evacuated as a child to Canada for the duration, returns as a very left-wing teenager. Learning of the affair, the youth explodes, railing against the minister’s “immorality” and exploitation of his mother.
At once a sparkling comedy of manners and a psychosexual drama, Less Than Kind has astounded critics.
James Wilby is best known for roles in Maurice (for which he received the Venice Film Festival’s Best Actor award with co-star Hugh Grant), A Handful of Dust, Howards End, Gosford Park and numerous TV roles.
Sara Crowe is one of the most recognisable faces on British TV having played Laura (the first bride) in Four Weddings and a Funeral, performed in numerous comedy and drama series’ and as the star of the Philadelphia adverts that ran for over a decade. She has performed in numerous West End roles including Calendar Girls and Bedroom Farce.
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes including one interval.
Past Performances
| Mon 19 Mar | 7:30pm | £10.50 - £16 | |
| Tue 20 Mar | 7:30pm | £10.50 - £16 | |
| Wed 21 Mar | 7:30pm | £11.50 - £18.50 | |
| Thu 22 Mar | 2:30pm | £11.50 - £18.50 | |
| Thu 22 Mar | 7:30pm | £11.50 - £18.50 | |
| Fri 23 Mar | 7:30pm | £13.50 - £22.50 | |
| Sat 24 Mar | 2:30pm | £11.50 - £18.50 | |
| Sat 24 Mar | 7:30pm | £13.50 - £22.50 |
Adrian Brown’s production beautifully captures the mixture of comedy and deeper feeling. Sara Crowe has never been better as the mother, caught between lover and son.
— Daily Telegraph
A cracking good piece which combines lively comedy with Oedipal tension.
— The Guardian
The great thing about Rattigan is that he knew a lot about misery, loneliness and disappointment — but didn’t feel that he should leave an audience feeling that way.
— The Times
A production that is beautifully acted, full of evocative period detail and very funny. Sara Crowe is a delectably amusing mix of gently distracted scattiness and wry wistfulness…
— Independent
They have struck gold with a Terence ¬Rattigan comedy.
— Daily Mail
Mercury Theatre
- Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester, CO1 1PT
The Mercury Theatre is a highly respected regional theatre and home to the critically acclaimed Mercury Theatre Company, staging a broad mix of classics and new writing as well as working extensively within the local community.