Rain Main

If you’re going to stage an iconic film, you'd better have a good reason. Cashing in on a popular title and using well-known actors may lead to box office gold, but it isn’t a guarantee of artistic success.

Happily, writer Dan Gordon has given a very good reason for the stage version of Rain Man to exist: to give a better dramatic examination of the relationship of the Babbitt brothers - autistic Raymond and the hustling and angry Charlie.

Gone are all of the road movie clichés and lengthy scenes set on the American highway system, and in are three-dimensional, dramatic scenes set in hospitals, living rooms and hotels.

The story is all about Charlie’s emotional and spiritual redemption from money-grabbing huckster to responsible human being. He achieves this through bonding with Raymond, the older brother he never knew he had until learning that their father has left him his $12 million estate. Charlie’s feeble attempt to weasel money from his brother leads him on a journey of self-discovery.

Oliver Chris is very good as Charlie. He makes a man most would despise into an interesting character, and he makes the emotional change that Charlie takes believable.

However, most people’s attention will be on Neil Morrissey’s performance as Raymond. This will be for two reasons: to see if he’s credible as an autistic man, and to compare him with Dustin Hoffman. Thankfully, Morrissey is successful on both counts; his Raymond is very believable and vastly different from Hoffman’s, but equally compelling.

Surprisingly funny and very touching, Rain Man makes for good theatre. It has two excellent performances and an intriguing story. Most importantly, it is an original experience that is inspired by the film without being a rip-off.