What’s it all about?
It’s no coincidence that this production opened yesterday, exactly 100 years after the Great War ended. It is, after all, a tale about the very thing that Britons were remembering: the war and the individuals who gave their lives for the good of their country.
The play, written by Stephen MacDonald, focuses on two of Britain’s greatest war poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, who documented the war and its many atrocities with such works as Anthem For Doomed Youth and Suicide In The Trenches.
We meet the pair at Craiglockhart War Hospital where Sassoon has been admitted for protesting against the continuation of the war and Owen is suffering from shellshock. Here their friendship – and in Owen’s case, writing – blossoms into something beautiful, until less than a week before the armistice the war finally tears them apart.
Who’s in it?
Alasdair Craig oozes confidence as Sassoon, switching between addressing the audience directly and interacting with his fellow poet in the cherished moments they shared. Assertive and demanding during their initial exchanges, his relationship with Owen grows to be both tender and amusing. In contrast to Craig’s “high and mighty” Sassoon, Simon Jenkins’ Owen is a bundle of nervous energy. The emotional intensity of his performance is exhausting to watch as he struggles to control his stammer and the nervous excitement he feels in the presence of his mentor. Both actors create the most warm-hearted of moments, Craig’s eyes welling and Jenkins’ cheek visibly quivering as their characters bid each other farewell on two separate occasions, one of which proves to be their final meeting.
What should I look out for?
Some of the most beautifully written, poignant pieces of war poetry being recited as they’re crafted.
The tragic scene in which Owen’s lifeless body lies under a red blanket, mirroring the covering of red poppies currently being visited by millions at the Tower of London.
In a nutshell?
The 100th anniversary of the Great War is marked with a modest and poignant production that presents the genius of two men through the brilliance of two others on stage.
What’s being said on Twitter?
@Loo_Bee Excellent evening Not About Heroes @TrafStudios @FeelgoodTheatre Lovely to talk to you. Wishing lots of success. #Sassoon #Owen #WW1
@Hanna_Liisa_K Beautiful, moving, powerful and inspiring performance of #notaboutheroes by @FeelgoodTheatre tonight! Go if you can!
Will I like it?
There will never be a better time to rediscover the work of these leading World War I poets, and no better way to learn about their lives than seeing Caroline Clegg’s simple yet affecting production. Some may be reluctant to commit to two hours of harrowing and heartrending war poetry but, rest assured, there is so much more to MacDonald’s drama, which documents a beautiful friendship and the uncompromising bravery of those who gave their lives for their country with brief bursts of much-needed humour.
Not About Heroes is playing until 6 December at the Trafalgar Studios. You can book tickets through the show’s website.