Fine telling of a young soldier’sstory
More than 300 young soldiers, often shellshocked, wounded or mentally shattered, were sentenced to death for cowardice or disobeying orders during World War I. In this adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel for older children, Private Tommo Peaceful spends the last hours of his life waiting to be executed, recalling his life from childhood, through school and the idyllic life of a young lad in the Devon countryside, and finally to the war. He has joined the army reluctantly, driven by accusations of being a coward, then by a desire to be with his brother Charlie.
The excitement of setting off for France is demolished by the reality of life in the rat-and-liceinfested, rain-sodden trenches, constantly under bombardment from artillery and poison gas and being forced to go over the top in attacks against the German positions. The programme lists 24 characters and they’re all played by the young actor Shane O’Regan who gives a truly aston- ishing performance that’s very physical, amusing and moving, in a 90-minute stint without an interval.
Many of the characters have just brief appearances – a tyrannical schoolmaster, a snooty clergyman, a recruiting officer, various sergeants and women, among them Molly, the lover of brother Charlie. But O’Regan brings them all alive with a range of accents, while keeping a firm hold throughout on a West Country accent for Tommo.
He captures the naive simplicity and loyalty of the youthful Tommo, his guilt over his father’s death and the revolt into disobedience caused by the horrific situation in the trenches.
There’s no demonising of German soldiers. The main villain of the piece is a martinet of a British sergeant.
Tommo constantly consults his watch as his execution approaches, as though in some way time might stop if the watch would. The simple set uses a bed that converts for the war sequences into wire overlooking No Man’s Land.
The use of lighting and sound effects show how effective basic material can be in evoking atmosphere, especially as directed so skillfully by the adaptor Simon Reade.
Touring to Waterford, Tallaght, Galway, Ennis, Carlow and Newbridge. Details at verdant.ie