JOURNEY'S END. To 1 May.

London

JOURNEY'S END
by R.C. Sherriff

Comedy Theatre To 1 May 2004
Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Thur & Sat 2.30pm
Runs 2hr 55min One interval

TICKETS: 0870 0606622
Review: Kim Durham 21 January

Flawless revival of this First World War classic.Journey's End has been a reliable staple of repertory theatre and has seen several revivals in the West End since its first production in 1928. David Grindley's flawless production should win it a new enthusiastic audience.

Played on a single set, a dugout officer's mess, it brings the strengths of the traditional well-made play to an examination of the life of soldiers subjected to the horrors of the First World War trenches.

We are used now, through the prism of Oh What a Lovely War and, to some extent, through the output of Sassoon and Owen, to a view of the period coloured with a deep angry cynicism. Although there are some fairly pointed jibes at commanding officers behind the lines timetabling skirmishes to fit in with dining arrangements, the tone of Sheriff's play is substantially different.

There is little analysis of the political futility of the war, and as much anger is expelled against the broken-nerved officer who tries to throw a sickie to avoid combat as is ever directed towards the architects of the horror. Instead, we are offered an almost unbearably tender view of fighting men sticking it out for each other and throwing up almost any strategy to try to convince themselves and others that they are not in a state of desperate terminal funk.

The key figure here is Captain Stanhope, hero worshipped by a junior officer from his old school as the quintessential English hero - ex-captain of rugger, fine wicket keeper and a splendid leader of men. The man we see, in Geoffrey Streatfield's visceral performance, is a pale, nervy figure, a few tattered threads of a former charisma remaining, franticly drinking to stave off total breakdown.

Beside him is the saintly avuncular Lieutenant Osborne, another finely judged performance from David Haig. This is a man who takes the understated buttoned-up stoicism of a Captain Oates to a level of Zen mastery. Constantly solicitous of his fellow-men and determinedly focusing on every day domesticities, only when he is alone does he allow himself the privilege of examining his own trembling hands. It is one of many deeply affecting moments in this beautiful memorial tribute of a play.

Captain Hardy: Guy Williams
Lieutenant Osborne: David Haig
Private Mason: Phil Cornwell
2nd Lieutenant Raleigh: Christian Coulson
Private Albert Brown/ A Private: Alex Grimwood
2nd Lieutenant Hibbert: Ben Meyjes
Sergeant Major: Guy Williams
Colonel: Rupert Wickham
German Soldier: Max Berendt
Lance Corporal Broughton: John R Mahoney

Director: David Grindley
Designer: Jonathan Fensom
Lighting: Jason Taylor
Sound: Gregory Clarke

2004-01-22 16:26:05