Review by: Paul Towers, Thursday, 12 April 2018
Pals by Jason Gerdes, inspired by real war diaries
A NorthSouth Theatre production directed by Jason Squibb
Upstairs @ The Western, 12& 13th April
2018
“based on real war diaries.”
World War One was supposed to be the war to end all wars. But
all it did was decimate the country’s youth as they were shipped out in
increasing numbers to the French trenches to be used as cannon fodder.
Pals is based on real war diaries and is the story of three
mates, two related by marriage, who buy into the romance of going off to a
foreign country to fight the Bosch. It will all be over by Christmas, they were
told.
Of course we all know this was, at best, wistful thinking,
at worst, blatant lies. The hostilities dragged on for 4 long years and some 16
million people died and another 20 million were injured.
But our three comrades shipped out blissful in their
ignorance. That naivety was soon dashed as they faced the horrors of the
trenches. As boyhood friends they did their best to see each other through the
horrors, not always successfully.
NorthSouth’s production skillfully blends comedy with the
privations they had to endure, illustrating the British stiff upper lip that
has seen us through so many things in history.
The cast of four take us through the optimism of the
youngsters prior to signing up right up to the devastating reality of war, any
war. The acting is superb; in Upstairs’ intimate space the actors’ emotions are
plain to see. The set, a trench, is so realistic you can almost see the rats
and smell the latrines. There is also a great ambient soundtrack of enemy
bombardment, a non stop reminder that death is just over the top of the trench.
Lighting is used to great effect as shells continue to rain down.
Pals is on again on Friday 13th April and there
are a few seats left. Highly recommended.
Full details of future tours can be found at www.northsouththeatre.weebly.com
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