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★★★★
The theatrical adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’s wartime epic ‘Birdsong’ is currently touring the UK. This weekend I had the opportunity to watch the production at Theatre Royal Brighton, which is a new venue for me, so I headed to East Sussex for the day to see what Original Theatre has created. As a fan of period theatre, I was intrigued to see how the company would work with writer Rachel Wagstaff to bring this World War I drama to a new audience. It previously premiered in the West End in 2010 and nearly 15 years on, has been revised for the 2024/2025 tour. It is an incredibly powerful and emotional story of love, bravery and the realities of conflict, reminding audiences of the impact of the Great War.
Background
At its core ‘Birdsong’ is a love story that spans the years preceding and during the First World War. However it is bookended by present day sequences, where a descendent of one of the servicemen is looking back at their grandparent’s war years. The 1900s segments focus on the central character Stephen Wraysford (James Esler), who was orphaned at a young age and sent to France as an adult to shadow factory owner René Azaire (Sargon Yelda). This visit to Amiens impacts his entire life, largely because of an encounter with the owner’s wife Isabelle (Charlie Russell). A few years later he is posted to the trenches in France, losing all sense of purpose based on personal circumstances and the amount of lives lost in combat. We witness the horrors that Stephen and his men went through during these years and also find out about the important human connections that were made. It is an impactful narrative that has been visualised with care and consideration by director Alastair Whatley, highlighting the importance of going to war with something to live for.
Overall structure
The play is split into three acts and features two intervals. Initially I was a little concerned about this as 3 hours is a long time to sustain drama and retain audience attention in a theatre, but given the different time periods and locations covered, this was absolutely the right decision. So many of Stephen’s experiences link to the pre-war trip to France, that I honestly cannot see how the work could be any shorter.
Even with the lengthy running time, the early stages of Stephen and Isabelle’s love story are a whirlwind and almost comparable to a lightning bolt striking the pair. At times it is slightly difficult to comprehend how quickly this has all developed, but at least it is a momentous story of passion. Furthermore, with so much of the play taking place in the past, you sometimes lose sight of the fact that there is a present day timeline too. It would be ideal to see a little more of the present interwoven into the script, providing greater context for the flashbacks.
Atmospheric set, lighting and sound design
To create this many locations in a touring set is no easy feat; especially places as contrasting as the factory owner’s house and the trenches, to name but a few. Richard Kent’s design uses light, shade and form to illustrate the different settings, instead of complex moving pieces. In the beginning, everything is very civilised and formal, with the majority of conversations taking place in René’s reception room and at the factory, where order and ceremony is required. Although, as the narrative continues, the themes become far darker and more harrowing. Shadows take over the space and the number of props is significantly reduced. In these moments, the combination of the set, Jason Taylor’s lighting design and Dominic Bilkey’s sound choices really make you believe you have been dropped into the middle of the Great War conflict, most notably in the “going over the top” sequence. It is almost unbelievable how the creative team have managed to create such an impact – with every gunshot, flash of light or explosion sending a shiver down your spine.
Intensity in the cast performances
Even though this is a fictional narrative, there is a tremendous sense of humanity to each of the characters. Nothing has been sugar-coated, with raw emotions fully on display and it is this attention to detail in the cast performances, which makes the characters feel so real and believable. Max Bowden’s Jack Firebrace is a particular highlight, specifically how he talks lovingly of his wife and son. James Esler also captures Stephen’s pain throughout each of the periods of his life, which is upsetting to watch and makes this such a hard hitting piece of theatre.
A really important piece of theatre
This new production of ‘Birdsong’ is a really passionate and heartbreaking three hours at the theatre. With the second and third acts focusing on the war period, the material is heavily weighted towards the conflict and for this to be a 5-star production for me, I would like to have seen a little more development of the love story in the early scenes. That being said, overall it is an incredibly formidable play. ‘Birdsong’ has now finished its run in Brighton, but you can catch the show in Aylesbury and Aberdeen over the next couple of weeks, before it heads to London from 27th February to 8th March. Ticket links for all of the remaining venues are available via the show’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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