On a career break in my late 20s, I spent a few months in Southeast Asia. I followed the well-trod backpacker’s routes to the standard tourist sites and the occasional pub. These days most of us know the Vietnam War through pop culture like Robin Williams wishing us good morning or Marlon Brando telling of terrors. When I went to Vietnam, all I really knew was from pop culture. One of the first things I did was visit the Vietnam Military History Museum and I will never forget the moment the guide pointed out to me that of course in Vietnam, they call it the “American War”.
Leaving Vietnam is a monologue written and performed by Richard Vergette about an American Vietnam vet. Jimmy wasn’t drafted, he signed up to become a marine and spent a tour in Vietnam, in the jungle, interrogating villagers and searching for Viet Cong in tunnels and hiding places. Vergette introduces more characters, and other marines who become friends and he does a very good job of fleshing out each character, enough to give us something to engage and interest us. At the heart of his Vietnam experience was his friendship with Jesús Alverado – a Mexican American marine. It starts poorly with Jimmy offering racial slurs and ends even worse with violence that haunts and contributes to Jimmy’s trauma still decades later.
If the intent is to suggest how someone like Jimmy might end up pro-Trump and MAGA beliefs, Leaving Vietnam is not so successful. It finds a lot more success in addressing trauma and its long-term effects. Large parts of this story work well, the trauma from his experience at war which slowly comes to the forefront is well-developed and defined but there are a couple of bumps. A sudden twist in the tale showing a schism in his marriage now comes out of nowhere and seems to contradict earlier comments leaving a little bewilderment. The point of a dis-illusioned working-class veteran with his friends being made redundant and his industry slowly decaying, turning into a MAGA hat-wearing Trump voter floats around but it doesn’t quite land. It is rushed and perhaps a little redundant, it might have been better to let the audience draw their own conclusions about how Jimmy’s beliefs might have gone.
Leaving Vietnam does also leave out Vietnam. Touching on the honour of the war and why so many Americans were sent, there are at most the lightest of touches on the country and people themselves. Racial slurs to describe the people but not much more. As Jimmy begins to recognise and work through his trauma towards the end, there is hope left for him and his family.
Vergette’s storytelling is a clear highlight of the evening, he plays it with a noticeable restraint, Jimmy isn’t effervescent or bubbly, or even folksy but he has an engaging delivery which is easy to listen to. Vergette is always clear about which character we are hearing and when the emotion does come to the surface, he does strong work switching passed that to keep the story going. He receives a very warm audience response, well deserved for his performance.
Playing until 8th April, https://parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/leaving-vietnam
Reviewer: Dave Smith
Reviewed: 23rd March 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★