Blackeyed Theatre, Theatre Royal Margate,
Review by Lesley Finlay
What a shame the beautiful Theatre Royal Margate did not receive more support for this moving exploration of the relationship between Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen.
Having said that, the mature, appreciative audience watched with rapt attention as two actors – James Howard (Sassoon) and Ben Ashton (Owen) – played out the story of a deep friendship born amidst the ugliness of war and forged through the beauty of poetry. Stephen Macdonald’s play is based on the poems and letters of the two who met in 1917 at Craiglockhart Hospital.
Sassoon was already an established name when he met Owen, who was suffering from shell shock, and starstruck in the presence of the poet. Encouraged by Sassoon’s support, Owen gives flight to his words and quite rightly becomes one of the most celebrated poets of the time.
One of the more interesting scenes is when the two work on refining Anthem for Doomed Youth; the poignancy of the piece is enhanced by hindsight.
Director Eliot Guiralarocco did not want this to be a typical play about war with trenches and barbed wire; as the actors said in their generously-given question and answer session, playwright Stephen MacDonald, in his staging notes, had directed a busy set of sofas and desks.
Victoria Spearing’s set, of cut-out figures, served as both witness and ghosts – their shadows enhanced by the subtle lighting. This subtlety is carried through on the music, composed by Tom Neill – it is apt and unobtrusive. The sparseness worked – both in its ability to give a feeling of exposure and also to bring to the fore the real story – the friendship of two men, a meeting of minds, in extreme conditions.
The tour continues nationally: do encourage your students of English, drama and history, to see it. Blackeyed have produced a really good programme too that not only explores the subject matter but gives a good insight into the genesis of this production of the play.