Exploring links between warfare in Afghanistan and domestic tensions at home, Pamela Carter’s new play is muddled and disjointed. Four young soldiers, Jackson, Nicey, Chips and “Princess” are killed in a suicide bomb attack and are seen in their after lives coming to terms with their fates; back in England, a forty-something married couple, Louise and Ed are separating and agonising over their troubled son who has an imaginary friend. The only link between the two stories is that Louise had been having an affair with “Princess” prior to him enlisting. The irony in the acting is that the four dead soldiers are all brought to life by well-judged performances, whilst the couple who are living remain dull and uninteresting. Metaphors and symbolism abound to underline Carter’s message about the ravages and pointlessness of war, which are timeless. However, they are also well-worn and, sadly, she has nothing new to say in a play that, ultimately, makes very little sense.
Performance date: 31 March 2014
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