This Owen Sheers play covers similar ground to his extraordinary work with injured servicemen, The Two Worlds of Charlie F, but on this occasion it follows the fate of three friends and their experiences of war, and the women they leave behind; a girlfriend, a wife and a mother. It uses the same research as Charlie F, but its characters are fictional. It still packs quite a punch.
Taff and Hads follow Arthur’s lead and enlist in the army. They train together in Catterick and are posted together to Afghanistan. The reality of life in a war zone soon hits home and its not long before they come home, on leave or with physical injuries and emotional traumas. We occasionally flash back to their school days; in fact the whole play is looking back to events that have happened rather than happening in the present.
You can tell Sheers is a poet. It’s a very literary affair, partly in verse and largely in monologue rather than dialogue, most from Arthur as the lead character. Storytelling rather than drama. Stylised movement and mime is used to illustrate and sound is used to great effect, occasionally making you jump.
The second half is tighter than the first, which I felt was a touch overlong. The dominance of the role of Arthur is at the expense of the other characters who I felt were a bit underwritten, particularly the women. The ending was a touch sentimental for me. John Retallack & George Mann’s staging is simple but effective and all of the performances are committed, especially Phil Dunster, who carries the play as Arthur.
It’s a very powerful examination of the impact of war on real people. With this, Charlie F and NTW’s stunning 1st World War play Mametz, Sheers clearly has great empathy with the victims of conflict and this piece does much to help us understand and sympathise with them, and that alone makes it important and essential theatre.
Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog 
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