Bite 08
National Theatre of Scotland
with the support of the Scottish Government
Black Watch
by Gregory Burke
Directed by John Tiffany
Associate Director (Movement) – Steven Haggett
Associate Director (Music) – Davey Anderson
Set Design – Laura Hopkins
Sound Design – Colin Grenfell
Costume Design – Jessica Brettle
Video Design – Mark Grimmer and Leo Warner for Fifty Nine Productions Ltd.
Barbican Theatre
20 June – 26 July, 2008
 ary Couzens
A review by Mary Couzens for EXTRA! EXTRA!
This succinct, well mounted, superbly directed (by John Tiffany) production has been staged all over the world since its initial success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in summer 2006. Judging by the mixed audience response at the conclusion of the performance we attended at the Barbican, it seems to have lost none of its stinging, no holds barred relevance in the process.
Based on the actual experiences of members of Scotland’s famed Black Watch while serving in Iraq, as gathered and re-constructed by playwright Gregory Burke, this play does not mince words or ideas, hitting its audiences with nearly as much force as it does its enlisted characters. One resonating statement is proclaimed loud and clear, both at the beginning of the play and near its conclusion by Paul Rattray as Cammy, ‘We are not defending our country, we are invading theirs.’ This statement, by someone who has, according to Burke’s play, served in various other ‘conflicts’ sums up the feelings of countless people around the world, who agree that Britain and the US are indeed, are waging an illegal war in Iraq.
As we took our seats, we noted the Scottish flags flying on flat screens situated at the each of the four corners of the performance space. The theatre itself has been rightfully downsized for this very important production, in order to maintain the sense of intimacy which is so crucial to its maximum impact. We were rather amazingly hit by political, pro-war rhetoric from the very start of the play, as onscreen propaganda is projected on a large screen, at the same time that real life actors lip-synch the words of the speeches they’re delivering onscreen from balconies above. That this is a powerful ploy, both in theatrical and real-life terms is immediately evident and the effect is quite striking, especially given its tendency to make one want to run for cover. This seemingly, never-ending spin machine glares its light on the tactics being employed to drive its brain-washing ideas home nearly as much as it does on what type of men the speakers themselves must be. But this riveting scene employs only one of many technically and psychologically mesmerising effects incorporated to drive this production’s points home to their largely sleeping targets – namely, its audiences. For it is our general sense of apathy that this play, and particularly this production of it, strikes out at.
The story starts off with in the here and now as we find our former enlisted men in their civilian clothes in their local pub, having a few and playing a game of snooker. As the lads cavort and banter in the pub, the screens switch to a static laden football game, seemingly signifying general complacency, perhaps about our untoward foreign involvements. Cammy is telling his mates about a ‘tasty’ sounding research woman who telephoned him to ask him about Iraq, then promised to meet him at their local that very night. The lads claim to be looking forward to her doing all manner of lewd things for their individual gratification, so naturally, they are disappointed and more than a little surprised when a rather ordinary looking man turns up in her place. ‘Sophie couldn’t come,’ the fellow explains to Cammy, adding that he is a writer who is interested in helping them tell their stories about what it was really like serving in the military in Iraq. Suspicion among the former ranks naturally abounds, as these are veterans in whose honour no parades will ever be planned.
As the lights shift, and a flashback sequence begins, a large metal door at one end of the performance space swings open to reveal our narrator, Cammy (Paul Rattray) in his camouflage uniform, as we’re told about the ‘Triangle of Death’ in Iraq that he and his mates, and other members of the Black Watch were sent to, allegedly, in order to help the Americans. However, we also discover in the context of this re-constructed tale that only eight hundred Scottish soldiers were sent there, as replacements for 4,000 Americans who preceded them.
The short, sharp dialogue of the play does exercise the shock muscles somewhat in response. But, it is in hearing the characters bantering amiably, and laughing along with them, only to have the blinding light and deafening boom of a nearby explosion suddenly intrude, with everyone running for cover which makes the most potent statement in such scenes. When the English Officer, played with a realistically flexible stiff upper lip by Jack Fortune, speaks glowingly of ‘Robert the Bruce’ while brandishing a sword over his head that he claims belonged to that legendary figure, during another scene illustrating how recruiting has been done in Scotland down through the ages, the Scottish people behind us were in stitches. But, unfortunately it wouldn’t take much of an adjustment for anyone watching that particular scene to be able to put that situation into easily recognisable terms. Another scene in which Cammy is utilised as a real live clothes horse, having his uniforms changed by other members of the cast, while he continues to speak about the various ‘conflicts’ the Black Watch have assisted with through the centuries is nearly as mind-boggling for the precision of its agile orchestration, as it is for the amount of viable information playwright Burke, (and actor Rattray) have managed to fit into a short space of time. Costume Designer Jessica Brettle has definitely been burning the midnight oil over this assignment.
During the course of this performance, we also learn some of the most common reasons why young men, sometimes teenagers, enlist in the first place, such as, ‘I couldn’t get a job,’ or ‘all we had was the pit.’ And, the reasons why they fight, among them, ‘to be with my mates,’ highlighting another problem, namely, a lack of viable opportunities for young people, and the false promises made to those who join up.
It’d be hard to anoint individual actors as symbols of excellence in this dedicated cast, as the naturalistic performances, intermingled with surreal moments of revelation, which are played out in very physical terms, renders each and every one of the performers down to the man, tops, in my book. Perhaps Michael Nardone deserves special commendation for his thoroughly credible, dual portrayals of two characters who are as unalike as possible, the Writer, and the Sergeant, both of whom feel for the young men they’re focused on, in entirely different ways. Paul Rattray as Cammy, our narrator also manages to stand out in this highly commendable cast, as does the aforementioned Jack Fortune as the English Officer with soldiering ‘in his blood.’
The staging of this fine production is nothing short of miraculous, as the set, Designed by Laura Hopkins, which consists of metal scaffold type constructions at either end, and huge metal doors stage left, which effectively mimic the entrance of the ‘wagon’ the Black Watch soldiers lived in (3 to each one) during their time in Iraq, is put to a seemingly, endless variety of uses, all of which seem feasible, given the accompanying action, lighting, sound and well-timed projections. Scenes like one in which the soldiers watch from a tower at one end of the performance space, as the Americans bomb a nearby area for ‘four hours, with only 2 deaths,’ are thoroughly chilling, both for the fact that they are based on fact, and because their horrific message, has also been brought closer to home by a combination of solid acting/re-acting, and perfectly synched film showing an actual bombing taking place at the opposite end of the space, with accompanying sounds (Designed by Gareth Fry) of a number of bombs rapidly bursting, one after the other. Colin Grenfell’s sensitive Lighting Design is also finely thought out, as something as simplistic as a round glow, slowly rising to represent a new dawn, after a fearful night, is extremely poignant.
Then there is the ‘music,’ which is minimalist, for the most part, and somewhat reflective of Phillip Glass’ style, and the singing, done by the soldiers in the company, as a gang of lads trying to keep their spirits up, which put me in mind of a Siegfried Sassoon poem I’d studied at university, about soldiers signing a Christmas carol in the trenches, and a bittersweet rendering of a song from Michael Nordone in his role as the down to earth Sergeant. Associate Director of Music, Davey Anderson has done a fine job with the cast in this regard.
The ballet like scenes of young men marching and intermittently falling, only to be buoyed up by their comrades is beautifully done and brings a lump to the throat, as does another scene in which letters from home arrive, are reacted to and cast away as though to look at them further would only bring pain. The cast are also required to run, bounce and fly like angels as the story requires them to, making it seem as though you are watching real soldiers being put through their paces, though the occasional slowing down of movements adds emphasis to the emotions behind them. Well done to Movement Director Steven Hoggett.
This production has been acclaimed wherever it has played, around the world, and having seen it myself, I have to say that I’m not surprised. It’s message is urgent, it’s ominous is on each and every one of us – wake up – care, and care deeply about your fellow men, be they different than or the ‘same’ as you, before it’s too late. Living the good life isn’t any good if in our complacency, we’re hurting others.
When you go to the Barbican Centre to queue up for returns for this landmark production, don’t forget to sign the online petition alongside of artist Steve McQueen’s installation, ‘Queen and Country’, letting the government know that you’d like his mock stamps of those who have died in Iraq, while invading that country, against the will of millions of people around the world, that, although they are ‘unknown,’ you believe they deserve to be commemorated on ‘real’ stamps. After all, the already famous, such as those ‘in charge’ of governments often tend to be the most infamous.
www.barbian.org.uk
Cast
Macca – David Colvin
Kenzie – Paul James Corrigan
Stewarty – Ali Craig
Franz – Emun Elliott
Officer – Jack Fortune
Granty – Jonathan Holt
Writer/Sargent – Michael Nordone
Rossco – Henry Pettigrew
Cammy – Paul Rattray
Nobsy – Nabil Stewart
Understudy – William Barlow
Performance time: 19:45 (19:15 on 25 Jul; also 14:00 on 28 Jun 5 9 12 19 23 26 Jul)
Running time: 110 mins / no interval
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Copyright © EXTRA! EXTRA All rights reserved
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