A hit when it was released in 1988, the original American comedy drama road movie Rain Man won four Oscars, one going to Dustin Hoffman for his portrayal of the autistic savant Raymond Babbitt. In this revival of Dan Gordon’s stage adaptation of Barry Morrow’s screenplay, there is virtually no actual ‘road’, but plenty of psychological drama and unlikely comedic moments to savour as Raymond’s brother Charlie gradually morphs from being a hard-hearted chancer to caring and affectionate brother. Enjoying the fruits of his savant brother’s ability to read the cards in a Las Vegas casino proves a pivotal moment when Charlie knows all too well that Raymond has “saved his ass!”.

Irascible Charlie is in trouble. He’s imported some expensive foreign cars for clients who have made down payments. But they’re getting edgy because their cars haven’t been delivered. The phones are ringing, excuses are made up on the fly.  Against this stressful scenario Charlie learns that his father has died, but shows absolutely no emotion when hearing the news, to the astonishment of his long-suffering girlfriend Susan (Elizabeth Carter). Chris Fountain as Charlie Babbit starts the play bullishly, slapping desks, spraying expletives. Charlie is not a nice guy – and he’s getting desperate. Fountain sustains the unpleasantness well, making his epiphany later all the more heart-warming.

Charlie’s journey to emotional salvation starts when he learns that he has only been left a car and some rose bushes by his dad. The rest of the $3million estate has been left to a brother he didn’t know he had. He visits his autistic brother Raymond in a home before spiriting him off to a hotel from where he offers him back for half of his estate. He begins to unearth memories of their childhood in which Raymond existed for the young Charlie as his friend ‘Rain Man’. So begins their adventure together ‘on the road’ where Charlie suddenly discovers Raymond’s proclivity for numbers might just be his salvation.

Raymond was played tonight by Adam Lilley who deadpanned his lines well while animating his body with tics and wooden walks – screams and jerks when over stimulated or stressed.

The humour and the sympathy in the piece comes when Raymond repeats back what he’s heard out of context or in his tentative attempts to connect, sometimes physically with his brother or his brother’s girlfriend. But his inability to differentiate or choose between two entirely different outcomes to his life prove to be the most poignant of the night.

Morgan Large’s lit frame backgrounds hung like a cubist abstract construction behind the action, only really having its moment during darkened scene changes when 80s hits rang out across the auditorium.

There were excellent supporting roles, in particular, Elizabeth Carter played Charlie’s girlfriend Susan with disdain and sympathy in equal measure, while Dominic Taylor cut a dogged Dr Bruener, Raymond’s psychiatrist.

Rain Man manages to illicit sympathy for autism in a backhanded sort of way. But it is Charlie’s journey to some kind of emotional maturity that is the story’s real beating heart.  ★★★★☆    Simon Bishop    17^th January 2019