Birdsong at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Amanda Dando
Aylesbury Waterside is one of my favourite theatres set in the centre of Aylesbury, there is always a warm welcome from staff and plenty of available parking nearby. Tickets are checked swiftly and you should arrive in good time to grab a quick drink from the well stocked bar, especially as this particular show is some three hours long with two intervals.
This play is a particularly stunning piece of theatre, I would like to congratulate the whole cast and everyone involved with the set, the writing and especially the acting. Essentially what starts as a gritty love story set in France plays out in the second and third acts against the horror of war. Falling in love with the wrong person at the wrong time is an age old story, however this particular one is interwoven with war, the First World War that was brutal and ruthless and took no prisoners with who it hurt, not just physically but mentally.
The novel Birdsong was written by Sebastian Faulks some thirty years ago, and this stage version written by Rachel Wagstaff. The whole cast certainly does both proud with this play. This is one of those rare performances of something you feel should be shown to school children, to demonstrate the horror and heartache death and war bring. It is however a very graphic play, and I really wouldn’t recommend for anyone maybe under the age of 14 years.
The use of some very basic staging and creative lighting created an on stage scenery and presence that at times was breath taking, certainly powerful, emotive and emotional. Standout performances from James Esler who played Stephen Wraysford, James Findlay as Brennan, Raif Clarke who played Tipper and of course Max Bowden who played Jack Firebrace. To be perfectly honest the whole cast was simply amazing.
At times the sadness took my breath away, this is soo much more than the love story of Stephen and Isabelle. It shows the relationships built between soldiers, how they cared for each other amongst the horrors they were witnessing, their coping mechanisms to try and survive day after day in the tunnels or trenches. No one can truly ever know, but this play for sure lays bare so many emotions up there on stage. The haunting singing, the ghosts of those passed, this is superbly written and acted. My heart was broken for those that actually lived through this period in our time.
It’s hard hitting, and certainly not for the faint of heart. However, if you want an absorbing evening, full of emotion, good acting along with the superb scene setting, then this play will not disappoint you. Brace yourself for the rather raunchy scene in act one, was a little taken aback at first!
I think this will stay with me for some time, the sadness surrounding a time in our history we today could never comprehend the suffering or horrors of the men that fought for our country went through. This play I am sure many would agree is a great tribute to all of them.
Rating: 5/5
Birdsong is at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Tuesday 11 February to Saturday 15 February 2025
Tickets cost from £15 subject to a transaction fee of £3.95 available from www.atgtickets.com or call the Box Office on 0844 871 7607
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Exchange Street Aylesbury HP20 1UG