From the moment the theatre was engulfed in the thumping sounds of a helicopter against a haunting song I was gripped. And I was drawn into a world of horror and heroes, of death and the dying and the pain endured by the human spirit when faced with mind-numbing destruction.
I was almost moved to tears at the start as the lead characters lined up to give their name, rank and serial number. It wasn’t just Brits either – Canada and the Caribbean featured too. Their injuries – and their hard-won triumph over all manner of adversity – were apparent from the start.
Somehow, entwined amongst the touching stories of how each of the characters was recruited into the army, drilled and trained and then shipped out to Afghanistan was humour and warmth. But there was also a glimpse of the searing mental and physical pain so many endured. Surprisingly, there was a fair amount of singing too - sometimes soulful and sad, and at other times funny and uplifting.
The suffering of the families they left behind was also bought into sharp focus. The language, as you would expect, was at times raw and strong – but the graphic descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of war were vivid. I learned a lot about military history in the region – and some army jargon – although some of the abbreviations remained beyond me.
The play took us from active service and combat, through hospitals and onto physical rehabilitation (where there was dancing and artful choreography for the able-bodied as well as those in wheelchairs). Then we were shown snapshots of the slow recovery with the dizzying array of mental conditions, medication, monitoring and motivation. And the final hurdle of returning home to make yet more adjustments.
The special effects folk deserve almost as much admiration as the cast for their brilliance with the lighting and sound. There were several occasions where I was tensed in anticipation, yet still almost jumped out of my seat.
It was not sentimental. It was hard-hitting and real. An unsanitized glimpse of army life and war. What I found most amazing of all was that all the lead players were formerly active service people. As they said, they have to learn to adapt. And their transformation from the theatre of war to performing on the stage was skilful and utterly professional.
The audience of Richmond theatre rose to its feet at the end of the performance. We were truly moved. And grateful - for their dedicated service to their country and for sharing their stories. It is no wonder that the West End production won awards and much praise. I would urge you to go to see them on this tour.
http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-two-worlds-of-charlie-f/richmond-theatre/
http://www.charlie-f.com/
