Journey’s End depicts the lives of a group of soldiers in the trenches of France in the build up to 21 March 1918 when Germany’s mighty spring offensive (Operation Michael) would see over a million shells fired in five hours to devastating effect. The British would suffer 38,000 casualties from the onslaught.
Drawing on his real life experiences with a cast amalgamated from people he knew, R C Sherriff’s classic is a shocking reminder – should one be needed - of the true horrors of war. The play was originally staged on 8 December 1928 with such a miniscule budget that Sherriff had to donate his personal uniform as costume. With ‘named’ actors not wishing to be associated with what was deemed a risky project, the uniform would be worn by a little-known actor called Laurence Olivier.
The play is set in what Robert Gore-Langton describes as ‘a world of candlelit fellowship in a hole in the ground.’ Here, in the school dorm atmosphere of the trenches, the soldiers face the most daunting prospect of the conflict: boredom (and all without an iPhone). Numerous displacement activities are deployed as a means of coping with the insane and surreal circumstances and to build camaraderie, such as dipping earwigs in whisky and then racing them across the table. The biggest form of distraction revolves around food, with debates over the various merits of tinned apricots over tinned pineapple. Food also presents the first major problem encountered by the cast when pepper is not available for a meal. ‘Never known anything like a war for upsetting meals,’ complains 2nd Lieutenant Trotter, superbly played by the roly poly figure of Christian Patterson. Later on his cumbersome frame saves him from having to go on a deadly mission to capture a ‘Jerry’ because he’d be an easy target.
With the action taking place down below the set was sparsely lit which had a mesmerising effect – almost like being in the cinema - ensuring the cast had the audience’s undivided attention. But this would have happened no matter what as the characters are so well drawn. They’re a right diverse bunch and within minutes it feels like you’ve known them forever.
Private Mason played by Tony Turner is the hapless hand and reminded me both in voice and humour of Baldrick from Black Adder. Captain Stanhope played by Nick Hendrix is a stoical figure with immense stage presence who slugs back the whisky to drown out reality. War is a contest of wills and courage, the only way to cope with the anxiety and trauma is to lead by example, keep that stiff upper lip. Everybody must conform to his relentless standards - compromise is not in his vocabulary, so imagine being trapped under ground with Roy Keane for a week.
The play is laced with humour and great one liners which only makes the inevitable fate of the cast all the harder to accept. But the real skill of the writing is in the simple and subtle details which visually transport you from the barren set into the minds and lives of the characters: The distance between the German and English trenches is described as that of a ‘rugger field’, putting war into more everyday terms, and despite 2nd Lieutenant Trotter having many memorable lines, it’s the fact he keeps a photograph of a plant in his wallet - rather than one of a woman - that tells you everything you need to know about him. But special praise should go to director David Grindley for continuing this sense of multi-dimensionality in the final curtain. The cast stand stationary like statues against a goose-pimpling backdrop listing the names of those who had fallen, bringing you right back into the present.
Journey’s End runs from Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 November at Nottingham's Theatre Royal.
Read more about the author RC Sheriff on James Walker's blog
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