"Private Peaceful" by Michael Morporgu adapted by Simon Reade
Nottingham Playhouse.
I've seen several presentations over the years of "Private Peaceful", and have loved seeing every single one of them. The story is a very human story, told in a way that all ages can understand what is happening on stage. Morporgu is very good at that and has a way of pricking people's consciences; just look at the incredibly successful "War Horse". So from the off I knew that I was going to enjoy the production.
Private Thomas 'Tommo' Peaceful recalls his young life to date: growing up on the country estate owned by the Colonel; family life with his spirited mother and older brothers Charlie and Big Joe; his love for Molly; enlisting in the army at the outbreak of war. Then military training, fighting alongside Charlie in the trenches of the Western Front and the events that bring his narrative to its final painful conclusion.
It's a story of comradery, brotherhood, family and the impact that war has on a person and a family.
I loved the folk songs and the music (Frank Moon) that were interspersed throughout the performance, which seemed to add further poignancy to the story. This is the first time that I have experienced any kind of music woven throughout the story.
What is also a first, for me, is the choreography, at time a cross between ballet and contemporary, moving through slow motion choreographed sections, which brings us into the mind-frame of Tommo at that particular time of the play. Neil Bettles, who was the Movement Director, as well as Jonathan Holby, the Fight Director both did a great job with this area of the presentation.
This is another one of those plays where the cast perform as an ensemble and it would be almost impossible to pick out one actor over another, and to tell you the truth, I didn't even look for this as the story just took over and enveloped the viewer, drawing you in and making you feel that you were the only person in the theatre.
The cast, Daniel Rainford (Tommo), Daniel Boyd (Charlie), Robert Ewens (Big Joe), John Dougall (Father/Chaplain and Colonel), Emma Manton (Hazel Peaceful and several other roles), Tom Kanji (Munnings/Doctor and Grandma Wolf) and Liyah Summers (Molly/Anna), as previously stated were exceptional.
The set design (Lucy Sierra) was very clever. Take the beginning where the family practically produce a dinner table out of a flat piece of wood on the floor. The same set which we saw as the fields, river and school was also used for the battlefields, and it did not take much imagination because the basics were there for us to use.
Lighting Design (Matt Haskins) was perfect, allowing us to see the explosions of the bombs etc and with the black outs, they brought a certain shock element to the proceedings. This was done especially well when we switch from Private Tommo's darkened cell to whatever scene Tommo brought to mind for us within his eight hour encarcaration period that we were being shown.
Sound Design (Dan Balfour) only added to the approaching menace of war, as I am sure you can imagine.
Directed by Elle While. With all the above falling into the right places, needless to say that Elle has also done all that she needed to do to create the overwhelming and emotional success that "Private Peaceful" is.
If you've seen "Private Peaceful" previously, then go and see this production as well, and be prepared to be wowed. You will be talking about this show days after you've seen it!
"Private Peaceful" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 26 February.
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