Birdsong
Exeter Northcott
8th May 2014
A review conversation by Young Critics Carmen Paddock and Freddie House
On the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, the Original Theatre Company and Birdsong Productions Ltd. have launched a national tour of Birdsong, an adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’s celebrated novel set in France before, during, and after the Great War. It is a moving exploration of the devastations of war, and to convey its brutality yet also its poignancy within the small space of any theatre is not a simple task. Rachel Wagstaff’s bold decision to transfer Birdsong to the stage is here seen through the eyes of two reviewers with varying background knowledge and subsequent expectations.
Carmen
As someone who had never read the original material, I cannot comment on the way the story has been adapted for the stage. However as a piece of theatre it was riveting, capturing the audience’s undivided attention for a two-and-half-hour run time which flew by.
The aura of war permeated the auditorium well before the actual performance. The curtain was raised, revealing a set dominated by rubble, barbed wire, and barricades, and about five minutes before the scheduled start time a low, intermittent drum started to play. This martial music got slowly louder and louder, reaching full show volume as the play began. It was incredible how this military atmosphere pervaded the space before the auditorium lights had even dimmed, heightening immersive experience (and at certain points, its abject terror). Another very effective element of the production was its excellent use of live music throughout. Transitions were often accompanied by live violin music, and several scenes incorporated humming and choral or solo singing. These were intelligently inserted at key plot moments to underscore the characters’ experiences and emotions.
The plot combines two storylines in a series of wartime chronological events and pre-war flashbacks, and the transitions are indicated by abstract physical movements and set changes. It follows Stephen Wraysford, a young Englishman who is seen both during his time with a French factory owner in 1910 and then as a lieutenant leading his men through France, ultimately to the Battle of the Somme. Memories of the former time pervade Stephen’s horrific present existence, especially his passionate affair with the beautiful Isabelle Astaire, the factory owner’s strong yet unhappy wife. Sometimes these transitions were difficult to follow, but that could have been due to an unfamiliarity with the novel.
Birdsong was incredibly well-acted; all roles from the leads to the supporting characters were fleshed out and individual. Special mention must go to Carolin Stoltz; she gave a nuanced, convincing, heartfelt performance, encapsulating both Isabelle’s resilience and tenderness. If there was a weak link, however, it would have been George Banks as Stephen. Playing such a volatile character with extremes of gentleness and brutality is no small feat, but these passions sometimes seemed unrelatable, thus distancing him from the audience. Perhaps with hundreds of pages to explain his character in the novel, he comes off as more sympathetic there.
Even amongst the production’s atmospheric and performance strengths, the technical effects were possibly its strongest elements. The creative team unafraid to go for extremes – hard blackouts, loud shots and shell explosions, and a massive set (described above). These certainly served the piece’s visceral violence and gave the impression that even the audience was not safe from the bullets, tunnel collapses, and mindless slaughter. Birdsong, while not perfect, was a memorable night of theatre for its well-executed direction and design, its mostly powerful performances, and its poignant story.
Freddie
This centennial production pays off in my opinion, with this adaptation successfully conveying the extreme desolation and terror of living in wartime. Having studied the novel Birdsong at school, I was interested to see the ways in which the Original Theatre Company would translate such a renowned piece of literature onto the stage, and the result was striking to say the least.
Faulks opens the novel in peacetime, prior to the outbreak of war, depicting Amiens as a tranquil and pastoral environment. The stage adaptation, however, opens in wartime, and introduces the audience to Jack Firebrace, a tunneller, played with the convincing contrast between his self-assurance and vulnerability by former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan. Jack is surrounded by his colleagues, who include Jonny Clarke as the naïve and juvenile Tipper, whilst Samuel Martin strikes a chord of affection with his light-hearted yet compelling portrayal of Evans.
Birdsong’s protagonist, Stephen Wraysford, portrayed by George Banks, is introduced to the audience as a cold and dethatched persona in wartime. The production then shifts back in time setting between wartime and pre-war throughout the two acts, slowly unveiling the cause of Stephen’s pain as his long-lost lover, Isabelle, who was seductively yet innocently depicted by Carolin Stoltz. Whilst this is a refreshing and somewhat innovative take on the structure of the novel, it made Banks’ job of conveying the two aspects of Stephen’s character, with his passion before the war and his detachment during, much more challenging. I felt the demands of switching between the time settings made it difficult for him to demonstrate honestly the impact both love and war have had on his character over time, often giving the sense that Banks explored only the cold aspects of Stephen’s character in order to make the audience’s, and indeed his, evening a little easier. The change in structure, I felt, was a bold risk, and in terms of the audience’s viewpoint was very effective, but unfortunately led to be a major flaw in the production as a whole due to the unconvincing presentation of the play’s vital lead role.
Don’t, however, let this deter you from what was otherwise a great night at the theatre. The subtle and powerful undertones of the violin conveyed the strong sense of the fragility of the soldiers that takes pages of Faulks’ descriptive language to capture, whilst the powerful and striking drum beats transported the audience directly to life on the front line. The intense bursts of light signalling explosions, followed by a sudden blackout, made even the back row squint, making the entire audience feel involved in the unfolding of events. The set also managed to perform its challenging role of switching settings very effectively, with practical props signalling to the audience the exact time and place of the current scene.
If you are a fan of the novel, I would advise that you book tickets immediately to see this raw and honest adaptation of Birdsong. If you are not a fan of the novel, or like Carmen you have not read it, you are not at a disadvantage. If I had to say just one thing, it would be that the stage production does not worry about straying too far from the text, and most definitely establishes itself as a stand-alone piece of theatre. Most of the time this is effective, and for that I commend it.
Exeter Northcott's Young Critics 