Review by Izzy Tierney
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In honour of the novel's 30th anniversary, Birdsong is back on stage and finishing its UK tour at the stunning Alexandra Palace, delivering a terrific production that holds a great amount of emotional depth.
Written by Sebastian Faulks about the First World War, the story follows Stephen Wraysford, an Englishman who travels to France to report on a failing factory that his guardian may invest in. Once he meets the factory owner’s wife, Isabelle Azaire, he falls rapidly in love with her and the two soon run away together from Isabelle’s abusive husband. The plot then jumps six years to 1916 where Stephen is now a British Officer back on the Somme, this time without Isabelle who left him years ago without explanation. Amidst the horrors of the war, he forms an important relationship with Jack Firebrace, one of the sappers who saves his life after he is presumed and left for dead. The mental toll of the war becomes more and more apparent as the deaths of Stephen’s men increase and he’s left questioning if they can even call themselves humans anymore. In the present day, Stephen’s grandson has found some of his old journals and is looking for Jack’s grave to pay his respects to the man who saved his grandfather.
The show is split into three acts, with the second and third being focused on the war and the first on Stephen’s visit to the factory and subsequent affair with Isabelle. Whilst the first act is an enjoyable watch, a lot of time is focused on characters and subplots that ultimately aren't relevant. When act two starts and we’ve jumped six years, it’s pretty much a new story that has swapped the family drama for war, rendering a lot of time spent in act one unnecessary for the rest of the play. The jump between acts feels somewhat disjointed, and though it is interesting, act one could have been shortened a bit. That being said, I can't fault the writing in any of the acts. A powerful look into the trauma of those fighting in the war; Rachel Wagstaff’s adaptation is written with great care and authenticity that fleshes the characters out beyond their status as soldiers, evoking genuine empathy and grief from those watching.
Leading the extremely talented cast is James Esler as Stephen, who gives a performance you would never believe is his professional stage debut. His progression from a hopeful young man in love to a hardened soldier who has lost faith in humanity is expertly done, with glimpses of the optimist he was subtly shining through every now and again. Whilst their affair is more of a secondary plot compared to the war, Elser has great chemistry with Charlie Russell’s Isabelle, making it easy to see why her leaving haunts him. Russell is fantastic at playing the dual personas of a kind, intriguing woman forced to be a quiet, subservient wife to her cruel husband, culminating in a particularly moving moment where Isabelle finds her voice and heartbreakingly declares that all she ever wanted was to be loved. It’s an excellent performance, and one I wish we got to see more of as some kind of flashbacks to Stephen and Isabelle could have connected the first act to the rest of the show better. It would also have allowed the audience to see more of the real Isabelle free from her husband’s control that we only see briefly with Stephen or her sister, but maybe that's just me wanting more Charlie Russell!
Getting his chance to shine in act two and three is Max Bowden as Jack, a sapper who is desperate to get home to his sick son, yet always tries to improve the morale of those in the trenches with him. His distraught reaction to the worst news a parent can possibly be given is heartbreakingly performed by Bowden who puts so much heart and honesty into his character. Jack’s friendship with Tama Phethean’s Arthur Shaw is portrayed wonderfully; the two men finding much needed comfort in one another in stunning scenes where male platonic love blossoms, providing warmth and tenderness amongst the brutalities. The camaraderie between all the men is shown brilliantly with laughter, gorgeous harmonies in the songs they sing and the commitment to not giving up on one another no matter how harsh their reality becomes. When Jack and Stephen are left trapped underground in one of the tunnels, they finally learn each other's first names, think about the person they would most want to spend their final moments with and help one another to try and escape. A Jewish German Soldier finds them and shakes Stephen’s hand, declaring “never again” - the war is over. It’s a bittersweet scene, showing the people underneath the uniforms and the humanity Stephen believed to have been lost, but obviously watching this interaction knowing that it does happen again brings a whole new feeling of sadness.
Adding to the sorrowful atmosphere is Richard Kent’s fabulous set design, where a lowered wooden platform creates the tunnels and a strong sense of the claustrophobia the soldiers are feeling. Dominic Bilkey’s exquisite sound design perfectly utilises the theatre to create a surround sound of war, giving the impression of bombs going off in different directions and from different distances. One in particular comes so out of the blue that it really makes you jump and in doing so, cleverly reflects the reality you’re watching where the explosions are often unpredictable and always frightening. The music is another component that works incredibly well to elicit a heightened emotional response from the audience, thanks to Sophie Cotton's composition and Tim Van Eyken's music design. Superbly complementing the above is the lighting by Jason Taylor that continuously sets the right tone for each scene and adds to the chaos and drama of the fighting.
Once the cast have exited the stage, a gradually fading spotlight highlights a single white gravestone where poppy wreaths sit, encapsulating the purpose of Birdsong in a simple but exceptionally touching way. It's a beautiful ending, leaving you thinking solely of the lives lost and a feeling of gratitude for their service.
Birdsong plays at Alexandra Palace until 8th March. Tickets from https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/birdsong/
Photos by Pamela Raith