Another adaptation of a Tom Cruise Hollywood blockbuster has come to the West End – Rain Main. This time starring heart throb Josh Hartnett in Tom Cruise’s role. I honestly can’t recall much of the movie considering it was released nearly 20 years ago (!) but I imagine that a bit of adaptation has to have been made to the movie to bring it to the stage – not least translating the big cross-country car trip across the states on to stage. There were also some notable updates to the script to bring it into 2008 including a very emotional reference to 9/11.

I wasn’t sure how seriously I could take baby-faced Josh Hartnett in the bitter character that is Charlie. He has to play a cynical brash bitter almost mean-hearted at times young man, a character which belies his pretty face, opposite Adam Godley who tackles the role played so wonderfully by Dustin Hoffman in the movie of Raymond, Charlie’s older brother who is sweet and an autistic-savant. I read somewhere that, ironically, Josh Hartnett took on an opposite role in 2005’s Mozart and the Whale of Donald Morton who diagnosed himself with Asperger’s syndrome after watching Rain Man.

Briefly Charlie is young man who finds out that his estranged father has died and left his whole estate to an un-named beneficiary. Upon finding out that it is a brother he never knew he had and that brother is in an institution he, at first, sets out to exploit him but then finds himself on a journey of discovery to fulfilment though as the play ends seemingly in the middle of a story we are left to imagine where this journey takes him. We hope to a better place.

Interestingly, unlike most American plays I’ve seen, the American accents didn’t grate on me. Perhaps it was because Josh’s accent was quite a bit less harsh than most I’ve heard and the British or non-American actors didn’t try to go too overboard with their own respective accents. From a delivery perspective its clear that the cast are still settling into their roles. Josh himself made quite a few mistakes during the show which was a little unexpected considering it has been showing for at least two weeks now. Let’s hope that he and the crew get on top of it in time for the press showing on the 19th!

I was quite drawn into the play with both the main leads, Josh and Adam, doing well in their respective roles. There was a lot of foul language in this version which I didn’t feel was entirely necessary and only at some points did it add emphasis to the scene. There were some laughs and whether it was the story or the acting I did have some teary moments – especially at the end of the first half. Highlight – Josh in his underwear. Ph-oar!

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.