Review: Birdsong at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre for Valentine’s Week

Birdsong is not an easy watch, but it is worthwhile. On at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury until Saturday 15 February, it is an adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ bestselling novel, portraying love, loss, and survival against the backdrop of World War I.

The book wove its story between several timelines but centred on a single geographical location. The stage play, by Rachel Wagstaff must have been a huge challenge. She achieved it by slicing the play into three acts. The first, set in the years before WWI: The second, during the war develops the characters of the soldiers at war; the third pulls all the threads together and leads to a heart wrenching, dramatic and surprisingly satisfying conclusion.

If you have already read the book, you will make sense of everything. The excellent acting and simple but versatile set will evoke the immense emotion that seeped from the pages. You will go into the first of the two intermissions fully understanding that two of the characters have fallen deeply in love and run off together. Some of the ‘falling in love’ is depicted very graphically and you should be aware that the play contains scenes of a sexual nature and includes nudity.

The second act takes Stephen Wraysford (played superbly by James Esler in his debut stage role), into the middle of the Battle of the Somme. It shows the character hardening into the role of an officer, as he has to maintain discipline in the face of overwhelming horror and the need to issue unspeakable orders that will take men and boys to their death. As the play moves into the third act, we see him becoming human once again, questioning the meaning of the war and trying to understand the futility of sending men to their deaths.

A key character, Jack Firebrace (played by Max Bowden – known for his role in Eastenders), first comes to prominence when he discovers from a letter that his son is seriously ill. He again comes to the fore when Wraysford catches him asleep on sentry duty which is a court martial offence carrying a possible death sentence. Look out for Jack as the action develops.

The war scenes are harrowing and graphic to the extent that if they could have recreated the smells, you would believe you were with the characters in the tunnels under the battlefield. A number of the scenes include loud explosions and simulated smoke that create a sense of chaos. You will be grateful that they are not as loud or terrifying as they would have been in real life.

The play is grim, but riveting. It holds your attention when, at times you will want to look away. Like birdsong after a storm, it resolves into a final scene that almost magically, changes the mood and leaves you with a feeling of hope and optimism.

Practical note: The play is in three acts. The first is for refreshment, the second, for comfort.

Review by Richard Byford

Photos: Pamela Raith Photography

The producers of Birdsong are working in partnership with the Royal British Legion during the tour.

Tickets for this powerful production are available at http://atgtickets.com/aylesbury*

*Booking fees apply