Private Peaceful at Exeter Northcott Theatre Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Helen Wyatt

Tonight we had the absolute pleasure of attending the stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel, Private Peaceful, at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre. I have never read the book, but both my kids mentioned reading it in year 7 as a set text, so I’ve heard of it but never found out anything about the story. I’m always fascinated by stories of the soldiers’ lives in WWI and WWII, not least because my great uncle lost his life far too soon aged just 20, during battle in France in 1918; sadly, just one month before WWI came to an end. Stories like Private Peaceful mean we can continue to remember the lives and sacrifices of people like my great uncle.

Michael Morpurgo’s story is not based on one singular real person, but on stories he heard growing up about the Great War, and he describes all his writings as having their origins in truth. The main driver behind Private Peaceful was knowing how many young men were executed for “cowardice in the face of the enemy”, by firing squad, even though they were likely suffering from “shell shock”, what we now know to be PTSD, and often following very short trials. Michael also discovered that those 300+ young men had not been pardoned by the Government, which was one of the factors behind his choice to write Private Peaceful.

It is a beautiful story of Tommo Peaceful, watching him grow from a young lad in rural Devon, adoring his brother and family, to a (very) young man going off to war to fight against the Germans in Ypres. We watch the story through Tommo’s eyes as he is living through the last night of his life, and he reflects on everything important that has happened and shaped his short life. It is an emotional and poignant tale of love, bravery, and ultimately heart-break as we move closer and closer to the inevitable ending of Tommo’s story.

The brilliance of this piece of theatre is that it is a one man show. It is one single actor, on a very empty stage, with minimal props and a single backdrop. This is amazingly effective at telling the story and in fact focuses you on the only thing that is happening. What lifts it from brilliant to genius is Benjamin Cain, playing Tommo. Benjamin makes his acting debut in this show, but you would not know it to watch him. He commands the stage and your attention throughout, playing Tommo from a young boy to a young man, and also replaying his memories of those in his life like his brother Charlie, his Sergeants, family, teachers, German soldiers, and more. It was a captivating performance, and funny and sad in equal measures. Lights and sounds further helped set the scene, and despite the lack of mud you could believe you were back in the trenches and going “over the top” with Tommo. Benjamin deserved every moment of the thunderous applause he received at the end. We thoroughly enjoyed the show and would highly recommend anyone going to see it.

The theatre is in the grounds of Exeter Uni and is easy to access, being close to a number of car parks. We popped into the café before the show to have a bite to eat, which made the evening even simpler. The seats all have a great view of the stage, and accessibility is good even for those with mobility issues. Staff are helpful and welcoming. All in all a fabulous evening!

Rating: 5/5
Private Peaceful is at Exeter Northcott Theatre 9/9 to 10/9/26. For more information or to buy tickets visit https://exeternorthcott.co.uk/events/private-peaceful/ or call the box office on 01392 72 63 63.
Exeter Northcott, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QB