Adapted from Max Arthur’s, Forgotten Voices of the Great War, this is a wonderful story about the horrors and hopes during World War Two, taken from five different perspectives: a wife waiting for her husband’s return, an American soldier, an army man on the front line and his senior officer and, finally, a bureaucrat. This wide collection of stories has the audience gripped on the chair, laughing along at some of the humour and silently horrified at the rest.
Stunning and heartbreaking, the cast are all flawless and special mention should go to Mathew Kelly (of Stars in your eyes fame), who gives a stunning and emotional performance throughout. Though the real star is Belinda Lang, who’s portrayal of a house wife has practically every audience member moved to tears as the heart wrenching truth of her husband’s fate is revealed.
Using only a simple set, which features just a war mural and several benches, Forgotten Voices manages to do in ninety minutes what many plays can only dream off. It really feels at times like you are in the trenches with them as everything from the sights, the sounds and the smells are immaculately described.
This is one of the best plays at the Edinburgh Fringe, intelligent and heart warming yet devastating at the same time.
5/5
Martin Miller
