A former soldier of the Great War is given a strange task – to exhume a body two years dead. What is obviously a publicity stunt he makes a last gesture to a lost friend.
This one man show is set in what looks like a dugout of World War One, but we soon learn that the war is over, and that this soldier has simply decided to stay. His reasons are not simple at all; as he tells his story it becomes clear that although a survivor of the war, other things have perished along the way and he is not what he once was.
This is a moving, personal account, delicately staged by Ross Ericson. It may seem that World War plays are done to death, but this production brings a new aspect to the tragedies of the war. Ericson performs admirably as the soldier, Jack Vaughan and tugs the heartstrings with his matter-of-fact regaling of his experiences. There could perhaps be a little more gravitas – one can’t help feeling like he is an actor, rather than Vaughan.
Although there was something missing in the performance the overall story and tone of the script carries it. This is well worth a watch, whether you enjoy war plays or not.
Times: 4-29 August, 1.45pm (not 22)
Tickets: £9.50-£11 (£8.50-£10)