Journey's End

An enormous face of Lord Kitchener towers over the audience of the King’s Theatre as they gather to see the UK tour of R.C. Sherriff’s Journey’s End, a play that has become as iconic to theatre as Kitchener’s “your country needs you” image has become for political propaganda. R.C. Sherriff’s award-winning script, first performed in 1928, is an honest portrayal of life in the trenches during World War I, without being overly sentimental as many retrospective accounts of the war often are. Taking place over four days in March 1918 and set within the confines of the officers’ dugout, the utter waste of life in the war is subtly inherent, with more focus instead on the characters’ close but often strained relationships, and the psychology of inescapable fear.

The most poignant thread of the plot is the arrival of keen school-leaver Raleigh (Graham Butler), who has been granted his request to join the company of his old school idol and sister’s sweetheart, Captain Stanhope (James Norton), to the frustration of the latter who is desperate not to reveal his true cowardliness. With the anticipation of an approaching attack from the Germans, tensions rise as Stanhope struggles to control his fear, emotions and alcoholism, and Raleigh quickly has to face up to the horrific realities of life on the Front.

Directed by David Grindley, the entire experience is so convincing that it feels like a rare opportunity to sample the everyday minutiae of trench warfare. Everything about this production feels as authentic as the script, with a darkly oppressive set that looks like it belongs in the Imperial War Museum. The sound effects of bombing and gunfire are both deafening and unsettlingly surrounding, as if planes are flying overhead and grenades are exploding all around the auditorium. The acting is second to none, with a strong and equally balanced cast; Dominic Mafham is adorably kind as Lieutenant Osborne, whilst Christian Patterson adds a down-to-earth lightness as 2nd Lieutenant Trotter.

As we approach 100 years since the start of World War I, it would be natural to assume Journey’s End might feel out of date. Although the officers’ language is rather “tally-ho old chaps” as is spoofed in Blackadder Goes Forth, the characterisations are so familiar that it becomes a timeless piece of theatre that still bears relevance and sadness, and is a stark reminder of the tragedies of war today.