High Noon at Harold Pinter Theatre Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings: scenes of smoking, haze, strong language and gunshots.
No stranger to exciting productions, The Harold Pinter Theatre is now home to High Noon, based on the highly rated and award winning 1952 Western film. Swirled in excitement, with two well known and well loved leads, this is the world premiere of the stage production.
We meet Will Kane (Billy Crudup) and Amy Fowler (Denise Gough) on their wedding day. Kane, the ‘small dirty town’s’ Sheriff, is seen hanging up his badge aware of his new wife’s aversion to guns and violence. As quickly as it takes to say ‘I do’, Kane comes out of retirement due to the release of Frank Miller (James Doherty). Miller is an outlaw, on the noon train and ready to seek revenge.
There are some very impressive elements to this stage adaptation of High Noon. The acting is sensational. I had high hopes for Denise Gough following ‘People, Places and Things’ and she did not disappoint as the independent and strong-minded Fowler, a pacifist Quaker. Crudup gives a strong performance as the Sheriff, showing determination, power, and a commitment to the law, as the townspeople show reluctance to form an allegiance with him due to fear and hostility. The ensemble as a whole are an enjoyable watch, whether line dancing, preaching or drunk in Helen Ramirez’s (Rosa Salazar) tavern. The cast all get high praise from me. I do think it could have been a good idea to have Miller played by somebody who didn’t play two other characters, and found not doing this a choice.
Tim Hatley’s set and costume design are brilliant, transporting us to the dusty town where the production is set. Whether we’re in the train station, tavern or church, scene changes are seamless with the use of moving wooden boards, a selection of props and hazy desert lighting as designed by Neil Austin. We also have a constantly present clock ticking down to noon, when we are to expect Miller on the train. The costumes certainly caught my eye, particularly that of the women. The period dresses are beautiful, particularly the red number worn by Salazar.
Overall, I found High Noon to drag, despite the rather short and slick scenes, and I found myself watching the aforementioned clock at some points. I appreciatethat Bruce Springsteen is a legend, I found the random songs sprinkled throughout needless and almost like they were shoehorned in to give Gough more stage time. Perhaps less singing and more dialogue would put us onto a winner.
To my delight, tension really starts to ramp up at noon, with a lot of haze and bright lights as the train pulls into the station. This was fun to watch from further back in the stalls, but I can’t imagine this was too fun for those in the first two rows. The tension soon disperses. I do think the ending could have been a lot more exciting and deserved to be longer. As it stands, High Noon ends quite abruptly – almost as quickly as Kane coming out of retirement.
Like the film this is based on, we have the central political allegory. 1952 brought us McCarthyism, and the paranoia that went with this; 2026 brings us Donald Trump. This is undoubtedly a chilling time to watch High Noon, given the recent killing of an unarmed woman by ICE agents in the States and the lack of law and order.
Given the buzz and excitement surrounding this production, it did fall slightly short of my expectations. Guns may not have been a-blazing throughout; however, I cannot deny that High Noon is an enjoyable enough watch with bold theatrical elements and a brilliant cast.
At The Harold Pinter Theatre until March 6th 2026
★★★
