PETER Whelan’s play presents an interesting perspective on the First World War, focusing as it does on the battalions of ‘pals’ – whole communities of men who volunteered together in patriotic fervour at the outbreak of war – and the women they left behind.
The social impact of the war on the women was particularly well evoked.
The play was cleverly staged, with good use of lighting and sound effects.
The division between war and home front in act two was particularly effective.
However it unfortunately suffered slightly from a lack of narrative tension in the first act.
Only in the second half, with the men at the front and the women’s reaction to the aftermath of battle, did the drama fully burst into life.
The performances were solid and the accents stood up pretty well. Some garbled and hurried delivery will no doubt be ironed out in subsequent performances.
KAREN ROBSON
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