Early One Morning at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton Review
Early One Morning
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
9 October to 1 November 2014
Reviewed by Cathy Porteus
Early One Morning tells the tale of local boy Jim Smith’s time as a soldier in World War I. It concentrates on the traumatic end to his army career, when, affected by what is now known as Combat Stress, he refuses to fight and tries to run back home to Bolton. The authorities weren’t as educated about the mental trauma of shell shock and struggle to decide on a fair outcome.
The Bolton Octagon was transformed into a World War One trench complete with mud and puddles. The theatre is in the round (or more accurately an octagon) meaning the audience can see all around the set. This production kept the set simple with just a platform in the centre of the mud and a few mounds for occasional seating. This worked well as there would have been little in the way of home comforts in the trenches.
The early part of Smith’s career wasn’t shown in action but referred to in a later military tribunal. Jim Smith had joined up voluntarily before the war started, whilst still a teenager. He fought with valour at Gallipoly and on the Somme, being promoted to Lance Corporal and awarded Good Conduct medals. In short, he seemed a model soldier, of whom any family or nation would be proud. In October 1916, he was injured and sent home to recuperate.
We see a flashback to Jim’s recuperation time, where he falls in love with a nurse, Lizzie Cartwright, who helps him recover from his injuries. Their courtship is cut short though, as a few short weeks later, Jim is declared fit to return to service and is forced to join the troops in Ypres. He finds himself a changed man, who can no longer fight, is scared of the dark, screams in his sleep and is evidently (to modern eyes at least) too unwell to be expected to carry on as a soldier.
After 3 escape attempts, we see the bigwigs gather to decide on the demoted Private Smith’s fate. Despite discussion about a dishonourable discharge, they find themselves making the ultimate judgement – Smith will be executed by firing squad. Other soldiers are then drafted in to prepare the site for the execution and guard the condemned man as he awaits his fate. Their disgust and horror at the decision helps to show that even at the time, many people understood the trauma incurred by years of fighting and living in the hellish trenches. “They’ve had him 6 years (as a soldier)” is Smith’s squadmates refrain, as they are forced to dig his grave in preparation for his demise.
Michael Shelford remains in the centre of the stage throughout most of the performance, cowering on his hard bunk, whilst the action and decision making takes place around him. He comes into his own in the scenes where he is almost overwhelmed with happiness at being back home, when injured, then in his despair and pleading for mercy when told his tragic fate.
Rookie soldier Private Webster (Ciaran Kellgren) added a light touch of black comedy, which was needed as the play was quite sombre and tackling a very difficult subject. His cry of “I’m not a soldier, I’m a bus conductor” served to make the play seem more real and helped me identify with the characters.
If I were to change anything about the play, I would probably cut most of the solo singing sections. The parts where the soldiers sang wartime tunes together added to the atmosphere but when carried forward as solos, to lead into new scenes, I didn’t feel they really worked and at points felt awkward.
I enjoyed the play more than I expected, as the grim subject matter is made more interesting by the knowledge that the drama was about a real person. The acting was great and I only noticed one slight slip in the narrative, an impressive feat given the number of lines they must have had to learn.
The Bolton Octagon is a great theatre to visit, with a good selection of drinks and snacks at the café bar, reduced rate car parking for theatre goers and a great atmosphere. It feels modern and the minimalist style means the audience can concentrate on the performance, rather than being distracted by décor.
Early One Morning is written by Les Smith, directed by David Thacker and is based on the true story of 26-year-old soldier James Smith from Bolton.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £10 to £26.50
Early One Morning is at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton until 1 November 2014. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 01204 520661.
Octagon Theatre. Howell Croft South, Bolton, BL1 1SB | 01204 520661
