FORGOTTEN VOICES FROM THE GREAT WAR. To 2 November.
London.
FORGOTTEN VOICES FROM THE GREAT WAR.
Pleasance Theatre To 2 November 2003.
D Company by Miles Malleson Tue-Sat 6.30pm Sun 3.30pm.
Runs 40min No interval.
Brigade Exchange by Ernst Johannsen and Black Ell by Miles Malleson Tue-Sat 7.45pm Sun 4.45pm.
Runs 1hr 45min One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7609 1800.
www.pleasance.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 26 October.
Good revivals of forgotten fragments throw light on how war was seen by its participants.
These are plays about the Great War, rather than great War Plays. However, Miles Malleson's scripts were radical enough to be seized by police in 1916, and termed a deliberate calumny on the British soldier' by a government minister. If he'd known their political leanings he'd really have seen red.
In D Company Malleson shows new soldiers in October 1914. A 50 year old corporal has lied about his age to join up with the raw recruits the army provides a regular income and means one less to feed at home.
The old corp. can't help wanting to serve upper-class Private Garside. But the play's core is the section between two privates across the class divide. Garside reads his own poetic letter home to the bereaved, illiterate Tibbutt, then helps his fellow compose a letter to his family. Leo Conville's Alf makes only a few commonplace comments, yet his features movingly show unspoken grief and moments of attempted cheer.
Tricia Thorns begins Malleson's other play with Elgar, autumn leaves and a couple at a breakfast in a calm that might last forever. But it only takes a telegram to produce anguish in Mrs Gould and nervous self-control from her husband who avoids looking at the telegram as he tears it open.
Yet their son's home, having rid the world of six of his country's foes'. The patriotic reaction builds towards a hero's reception but when Harold arrives, he's from another, fear-haunted world. Horrified at his action, he repays patriotic attitudes with the nightmare reality of killing. Part ring of truth, part political pamphlet, Harold's speech produces some straining at the vocal edges from Daniel Weyman. But it's an amazing piece for 1916.
Ernst Johannsen's 1929 German radio play is set under the trenches, where Private Schneider operates the telephone exchange. Emergencies plus official unconcern are the background to fear and danger. Johannsen shows the German army could be as disorganised as the British something the crowd of voices heard over the Exchange make clear in English tones.
From the experienced Corporal's calm to teenage Behnke's fearful agony and the sudden, catastrophic ending the play's mounting frenzy well-handled throughout - shows war is the common enemy to all sides.
D Company:
Private Alf Tibbutt: Leo Conville.
Private Tilley: Simon Spencer-Hyde.
Orderly Corporal: Peter Symonds.
Private Jim Penley: Daniel Weyman.
Corporal Charles Joiner: Jeffrey Perry.
Private Denis Garside: Neil Ditt.
Brigade Exchange:
Private Schmidt/Divisional Commander: Peter Symonds.
Private Muller/Lieutenant von Zitsowitz: Neil Ditt.
Private Schneider: Simon Spencer-Hyde.
Corporal/Private Hansen: Jeffrey Perry.
Sergeant-Major Kramer/Private Hinrichsen: Simon Spencer-Hyde.
Private Behnke/Captain Jensen: Leo Conville.
Sedan Exchange Operator: Lindsay Carr.
Hospital Orderly: Lorna Doyle.
Sister Erna: Patience Tomlinson.
French Prisoner: Emma Callander.
Black Ell:
Mrs Gould: Patience Tomlinson.
Mr Gould: Jeffrey Perry.
Ethel: Emma Callander.
Colonel Fane: Peter Symonds.
Jean: Lindsay Carr.
Margery Willis: Lorna Doyle.
Harold: Daniel Weyman.
Director: D Company Ian Talbot.
Brigade Exchange/i> and Black Ell Tricia Thorns.
Designer: Christopher Richardson.
Lighting: David Lawrence.
Sound: Kay Basson.
2003-10-27 00:25:25