Birdsong at The Theatre Royal, Nottingham
16th October 2024

I must confess that I never got around to reading Sebastian Faulks’ seminal romance Birdsong, set against the dreadful horrors of The Somme. It recently turned thirty years old, a milestone which has perhaps inspired the Original Theatre Company to take this new production of the 2010 stage adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff out on the road again. It is said that Faulks wrote the novel because he feared that the events of World War One were slipping out of human memory and he wanted to reignite the collective consciousness of the tragedy of those times. In the words of George Santayana, ‘those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.’
The play, originally directed by Stephen Daldry is now in the hands of Alastair Whatley and with a run time of three hours across three acts, the literature promises that it will be a ‘mesmerising story of love and courage, once seen never forgotten.’

In Act One we meet our pre-war protagonist Stephen Wraysford (James Esler, in his professional stage debut) who falls in love with loveless and lost Isabelle Azaire (Charlie Russell), the two of them bonding over their shared idealism and frankly desperate desire to be needed. Esler is charming in the role, investing Wraysford with a boyish quality which makes him completely endearing to the audience from the get go. Russell portrays an Isabelle who has a strength beyond what we see on the outside. Isabelle’s oafish husband Rene (Sargon Yelda) is suitably charmless, transparent in his nastiness. A tryst emerges which sees Isabelle cheat on Rene with Wraysford. Here there are scenes of nudity and of a sexual nature earning the production an age guidance of 15+.

If Act One was about the humdrum domesticity of those pre-war relationships, Act Two sees a seismic scene shift to the trenches of the Somme. Here our focus shifts to digger Jack Firebrace (Max Bowden) and his band of men (a tremendous ensemble of characterful players), giving us a harrowing insight into the day-to-day lives of soldiers on the front line. It becomes apparent as to how the events of Act One are related to the events of Act Two as the action proceeds. These vignettes of life in the trenches are stunningly played – kudos to Bowden for a powerful portrayal, which manages to move between gallows humour and despair in seconds. Credit here too to lighting designer Jason Taylor and sound designer Dominic Bilkey who have created a cacophony of wartime horror on stage which very much transports us as an audience into the heart of the action. The sound speakers in the auditorium ensure that the experience is completely immersive.

Act Three is where the two stories are knitted together completely, the golden thread of narrative finally reaching a fulfilment. One element that most definitely helps to tie the components of the piece together is the music – Sophie Cotton’s composition coupled with Tim Van Eyken’s music design is simply stunning and helps to cue the emotional tone of the piece, giving breadth and depth to the action. The design in general is hugely impactful, in particular the set by Richard Kent, which is deceptive in its simplicity and versatile across the distinctive acts.

All in all, this is a marathon evening of theatre which gives tremendous value for money. With two intervals and over three hours of running time, you’ll really feel like you’ve been spun a yarn or three. I have a notoriously short attention span, but even I was completely invested throughout – helped I think by the fact that those three acts each tell three stories which are, it transpires, woven together by that overarching narrative. It is expertly performed and beautifully produced. Well worth seeing.

Playing at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham until Saturday 19th October 2024.

*Age guidance 15+. Production contains pyros, replica weapons, scenes of a sexual nature, nudity, portrayals of death and abusive behaviour.