Intentions were far from clear

Sir, – Last week I saw a National Theatre production of “306 Dusk” in Perth Theatre.

It was a magnificent performance, brilliantly acted and staged, but despite my great interest in the subject, the production left me somewhat cold because it was not easy to understand exactly what the message was which the writer wished to convey.

The tragedies and horrors of the two world wars and subsequent conflicts are well enough known for emotion to be generated by any dramatic representation of them.

However unless one had seen the first two parts of the trilogy, which few would have done, or was aware of the significance of the figure 306 (the number of soldiers shot for “cowardice” and subsequently pardoned in 2006, and only explained by a very small note buried in the cast list of the programme), much of whatever message was intended in the third and final part was far from clear.

I suspect your reviewer had seen both earlier parts and may well have communicated with the writer or director, which would have given him an insight which few members of the audience had.

It is a shame that a talented writer should presume that an audience can deduce his intentions unless they are made more clear in his text.

It is similarly unfortunate that such a distinguished theatre company should not think it appropriate in the circumstances, for the writer’s intentions to be clearly outlined in the programme notes. Anthony Garrett. 1 Royal Terrace, Falkland.