The novel Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks was a popular GCSE text back when I was taking those exams but wasn’t part of the Jane Austen-heavy syllabus followed by my school. Friends at a neighbouring school had studied it though (it was my at-the-time boyfriend’s favourite book) so I went into Rachel Wagstaff’s stage version on Friday night with a vague expectation of a sad World War I love story.
The reality is obviously far richer and more complex than that, and I’m still unsure whether having a fuller understanding of what to expect would have made my experience better or worse. At three hours long the production covers a lot of ground, and the three acts divide the action neatly, but for me the first act was quite slow moving and a lot of subtlety was lost in the enormous auditorium. Not lost on us though is the contract between our protagonist Stephen Wraysford (James Esler) and his French host René Azaire (Sargon Yelda). The latter’s forceful dominance is stark against the former’s polite, respectful reverence, although perhaps not enough to explain the passionate relationships that unfold.
The second act was where everything came together for me – the sparse set design suddenly made far more sense, and the relationships become completely two-dimensional. Richard Kent’s set design inventively conjures up the claustrophobia of the trenches and the audience feels almost oppressed by the murky despair being experienced by the men on stage. The performances here feel like they step up a gear too; I felt more invested and more moved and at times the entire audience was holding their breath or letting out collective gasps of horror. If the first act was slow moving, I left the second act for the second short interval bubbling over with emotion and concern, desperate to get back to my seat to see how everything is resolved.
Max Bowden as Jack Firebrace totally won my heart in a generally strong cast portraying deeply complex characters in whom we are completely invested. The production is not for the fainthearted and at times a difficult watch, but it’s full of heart and passion and I was amazed by how the time flew by despite entering into the evening with some trepidation. Definitely worth seeing and worth making the journey to Alexandra Palace, which is an experience in itself and lends itself to the gritty aesthetic of the production. A fantastic evening of theatre.
Reviewer: Zoë Meeres
Reviewed: 28th February 2025
North West End UK Rating:
Rating: 4 out of 5.
