Jack and Sarah at The Mill at Sonning Review
Photo by Pamela Raith
Written by Mia for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
It seems that no film from the end of the 20th Century is safe from a stage adaptation… Some of these attempts have failed miserably, whilst others prove it can be done. Thankfully, as it’s one of my favourite films, Jack and Sarah is a rousing success.
A heartwarming tale of love, loss and friendship, Jack and Sarah portrays a widower’s journey of fatherhood, something he never expected to do solo whilst working full time, renovating his house and grieving for his wife.
There are many differences from Tim Sullivan’s original film (not least the absence of Jack’s mother), but Duncan Abel’s adaptation, directed by Abigail Pickard Price, gives the story a new lease of life for the 21st century and the subtle changes to character and plot work well on stage, especially with only one setting.
The cast is strong, with characters all well-written and differing enough from the film to allow the actors a chance to explore and interpret in their own way. Sarah Mayle gives us a warm, yet no-nonsense performance as Phil, beautifully balancing the grief for her daughter with the joy of her granddaughter. Rufus Hound brings a new dimension to William, whose role is much larger in the play, and he also gets to share the sad truth behind his homelessness, something missing from the film.
There are some lovely moments between Jack (George Banks) and Amy (Anya De Villiers), and although their relationship does not have much time to develop, it feels genuine. The role of the builder Nat (Lee White) has also been enlarged, and his backstory deepens the emotional impact of the overall play. Lucy Doyle does well to play two such different characters (Sarah and Anna), and Neil Roberts also brings balance to his role of Michael.
One of my initial concerns was how baby Sarah would be depicted, but the doll used is exceptional - cute even - and this helps the production to succeed, as it really does tug on the heartstrings. The renovation too is impressive, transforming gradually from a building site into a typical London front room, and Terry Parsons (set designer) and Ian Stroud (set builder) are to be commended, along with Natasha Elcox (scenic artist) for the way this has been designed and executed. It’s also extremely prop-heavy, so well done to everyone involved with manoeuvring, creating and setting these for each performance!
The timeline is a little unclear as the baby does not grow much, so it’s hard to work out how long has passed, especially for those unfamiliar with the film. This is a minor point though and does not detract from the overall effect, which is fantastic and dives deeper into the human reaction to grief, as we see multiple characters struggle with different types of hardship and sadness.
Emotionally heartfelt and brilliantly performed, this is a stunning adaptation of a wonderful film that should delight diehard fans of the original but also introduce the story to a new audience.
Jack and Sarah plays at The Mill at Sonning until 14 June 2026
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
