There’s something of a school nativity-play atmosphere about the Trinity Hall Lecture Theatre – maybe a secondary school hall if we’re being generous. Intimate (verging on a little stuffy) and limited in its tech provisions, the theatre is nonetheless adequate for the requirements of The Bridges of Madison County.

If the conversations in the interval were anything to go by, this is not the best-known play in the Cambridge repertoire. That’s understandable. Premiering on Broadway in 2014, the musical’s book doesn’t do justice to the popularity of the 1995 film or the novel by Robert James Waller. In some ways, it feels like an old musical from the 1960s (and not just because it’s set in 1965). Nonetheless, under the expert direction of Jaeyen Lian and Naomi Rafferty, the show is immensely enjoyable – as attested by the enthusiasm of Saturday night’s audience.

“The show is immensely enjoyable – as attested by the enthusiasm of Saturday night’s audience”

It’s hard to avoid the issue of accents with this production. Jessica Folwell, in the lead role of Francesca, is consistently precise in her Italian delivery; however the American accents prove more difficult to capture. Interestingly, the cast tend to be more grounded while singing, although even here the affected intonations distract from the strength of some (not all) singers.

One or two voices are also drowned out by the power of the live band, which is perhaps the greatest part of the play overall. With recording-like precision, the orchestra, under Laura Thomas, still manages to carry all the power and emotion of a live performance, instilling the score with a greater sense of personality and elevating the stronger singers, if somewhat overwhelming others.

What stood out among the performances was the undeniable comedy between Marge (Emma Lewis) and her husband Charlie (Patrick Tweedie), whose command of the stage grows across their scenes together. By the second act, they are repeatedly interrupted by raucous laughter from the audience. It was with a thrill of glee that we saw Lewis return to the stage for a brief doubling-up as a singer for the radio. In this, she flings away all restraint left and delivers a powerful yet comical rendition of ‘Get Closer’.

“Folwell and Matthew Weatherhead’s vocals are on full display throughout”

While Folwell and Matthew Weatherhead’s vocals are on full display throughout, there are several actors whose contributions shouldn’t be overlooked. Tweedie’s solo in ‘When I’m Gone’ solicited many laughs from the audience, who perhaps didn’t quite appreciate the genuine pathos of the song – by the time Bud (Wilf Offord) jumps in, it becomes clearer. Together, the two performers reshape the play’s tone, pulling it away from the vain hope of the first act towards the growing sobriety of the final two scenes.

Folwell and Weatherhead make tender use of these scenes to draw out the story’s painful climax without falling into the trap of cheap emotions. Their final song, ‘Always Better’, is powerful and moving. For one last time, the audience hears the incredible power of their voices – which, in Folwell’s case at least, has been evident since the opening.

To convey so much location and atmosphere within the limits of the theatre requires great precision. The lighting options, for one, are extremely limited, but creative choices manifest in subtle ways. The decision to shift the lighting, almost imperceptibly, during the scene where Francesca’s imagination takes over is highly effective. Where the lights have otherwise been either ‘on’ or ‘off,’ the shift in tint marks this vignette as different, otherworldly – and ultimately a fantasy.

Similarly, the limitation of props is circumnavigated by a clever distinction of setting. A bench becomes a bridge; a table signals the kitchen at home or, when moved downstage, a café for a public meeting. While the four seats for a car with hand actions for the doors feels somewhat children’s drama club-esque, it doesn’t overshadow the effective use of scenery overall.

The Bridges of Madison County may be limited by its space and script, but it is ambitious and mostly effective. The play confronts a range of emotions and the performers enliven the score beyond its faults. If sometimes undermined by unconvincing accents, the songs are carried by the enthusiasm of the live band and the talent of their singers. It is a determined, truly beautiful, production.

‘The Bridges of Madison County’ is showing at the Trinity Hall Lecture Theatre from Friday 7 until Sunday 9 February, at 7:30pm.