"Bully Boy" by Sandi Toksvig

Lace Market Theatre.

A patrol of young soldiers is investigated for the fatality of a local boy, Omar, during the British army presence in Afghanistan in the early 21st century. The investigating officer, Oscar, a veteran of the Falklands war of the 1980s, is drafted into Afghanistan, but is deeply troubled by the discoveries made in the process of the investigation. 

Eddie, the young soldier under investigation is similarly traumatised. Under the threat of a court martial, the soldier is sent home for treatment and horrific therapy. We discover that during this journey back home, the vehicle that Eddie and Oscar are travelling in is bombed, and Eddie saves Oscar's life, unfortunately the rest of Eddie's military group are not so lucky.

The play tackles the challenging moral issues of contemporary military occupation, and its effect on the mental health of serving soldiers, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Oscar Hadley,  a middle-aged, Falklands veteran and military police officer is investigating gross misconduct resulting from the death of an eight-year-old Afghan boy who was thrown down a well during a military raid, is played by Nic Adams. 

I think I first saw Nic at the Lace Market in a play called "The Cemetary Club" about five years ago. This role is very different because it shows the whole range of emotions. From the stiff, official army officer all the way through to the drunken, fun, eighties music loving dancer, we get to see Nic play the whole gamut. There's anger, camaraderie and empathy all in this performance as well, and quite a bit of Oscar's back story shows why he is swayed to making the official decision regarding Eddie's military future. In short, Nic's performance was magnetic.

Eddie Clark is played by Jack Durden, in his debut at the Lace Market Theatre. Not yet having reached his 21st birthday, Eddie struggles to control his thuggish rage and is later unable to accept the death of four of his fellow comrades; killed outright in a roadside bomb from which he narrowly escapes – rescuing Major Hadley in the process. 

I know that I've seen Jack somewhere before but can't quite put my finger on where I know Jack from. This performance is really powerful, a real pairing of talent with Nic in two roles that at first are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but as time went by, that distance narrowed immensely. We first see Eddie as a fidgety, nervous, on edge and angry young soldier, unsure as to where his future lay. We see that anger surface on several occasions, with Oscar being on the other end of it, as well as others we hear of throughout the story. Gradually, the barriers between the two men crumble and they both find respect for each other, the more time they spend with each other.

There's several very powerful scenes in this play, which at times is not the easiest to watch, only due to the subject matter, but the scene after Eddie has received Electroconvulsive therapy is visually shocking.

"Bully Boy" is well balanced with facts and statistics about the men who died in the Falklands and humour, such as Oscar insisting that he and Eddie give the fallen soldiers a proper send off by getting uproariously drunk, and Eddie reaching the top of Pendle Hill with Oscar and his gammy leg. You are so absorbed in Eddie’s state of mind that by the end of the play you no longer concern yourself with the initial reason that these two men were brought together.

This is a new play to me, and something that I would never had guessed to have been written by the very talented. comedy writer, Sandi Toksvig, famed for her political and comedy stand up routines, but Sandi sure knows how to make an impact, and has clearly done her homework where this military subject is concerned. Just when you think you've been shocked enough though, comes the final speech from Oscar to round up his report, bringing us all up to speed.

I must also mention Timothy Pollard who also appears on the interim of "Bully Boy" in a couple of roles, bringing smiles from the audience in the second act, which I won't say how, but really lifts the mood, bringing about a bit of a celebration.

Directed by Cynthia Marsh, this is such an emotional story, and of course subject matter, especially as we remember those from an army background on November 11th, making this production the more poignant. there's not even a glimmer of any emotions bubbling over the top from either Nic or Jack, with the passion reaching the right level, despite the roles becoming quite physical in a couple of places. Emotions play a big part in "Bully Boy", which by the way is not what you initially believe that phrase to mean; it is explained early on in the play. Everything about this production simmers, except for the audience appreciation at the final bows, where it quite rightly boils over.

Lighting Design is by Hugh Philip, along with Rosie Randall and Allan Green and we all know just how important a good lighting programme can be to the success of any play. At times it creates a moody, dark feeling, at others as illuminating as the facts and figures provided by Oscar. Combined with the excellent soundscape, the two areas bring together the joy and uneasiness of the storyline.

Sound Design and the Projection Design is by Matthew Allcock. The graphics not only move the story on, timeline and scene wise, but it also gives you a feel, visually of Afghanistan, as well as Burnley and Pendle Hill, which by the way is awe inspiring as I have seen this flat topped hill, also responsible for the mythical Pendle witches. 

It's difficult to say that I enjoyed this play because it's not an adjective that should be used for this particular subject matter, but I did. It's not a subject I know an awful lot about, but I love to be educated from the stage, or in this case "in the round", as the play is performed in the upstairs Studio setting, making the power of the story more magnified. It's a wonderful play, and I left more educated about the military workings than when I walked in the theatre. It's a powerfully emotive story, and I also love that. I also love to see actors pour everything out on stage, and Nic and Jack certainly, at times quite literally, threw themselves into the story.

"Bully Boy" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 16 November; a couple of the performances are already sold out, so make sure that you get your tickets pretty sharpish, so as not to be disappointed at missing out on an educational and entertaining piece of theatre.