Birdsong 🌷

#PRInvite #Gifted | ‘Birdsong’ teaches us that there is nothing better than to love and be loved - and last night, I absolutely fell in love with this play. Captivating audiences this week at His Majesty’s Theatre, Sebastian Faulks’ novel is brought to life on stage in its first UK tour.

Star rating: ★★★★★

I left His Majesty’s Theatre last night with a lump in my throat and a knot in my stomach. It has been 30 years since Sebastian Faulks first published his novel ‘Birdsong’ - the text which has been described as one of the “bleakest descriptions of warfare to be put into print”. Marking this anniversary, the stage adaptation has been touring the UK, and it has arrived in Aberdeen this week. The play has endured a rigorous writing process, first developed over 18 years ago, and opened in London in 2010, running twice in the West End. Though it is based on Faulks’ story, it is the writing of Rachel Wagstaff we have to thank in this new production, celebrating the novel which has had a lasting legacy on its readers.

Set on the Western Front, ‘Birdsong’ explores the travesties of the First World War through the lens of love, loss and destruction. Stephen Wraysford, a businessman from England, travels to Picardy, France, to investigate the potential sale of a factory in 1910, during the industrial era. Wraysford gets involved in both family affairs and their business, causing him to get caught in the crossfire in more ways than one. Yet, as the war begins, he becomes a Lieutenant devoted to his battalion and is one of the few men of the time to blur the lines of hierarchy. Throughout his time in battle, he makes friends with miner Jack Firebrace and the pair long for returning to their loves back at home. The premise is to learn that there is nothing more than to love and be loved, and whilst this sounds somewhat promising, the rest of the play is completely heartbreaking.

It might just be because two years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Battlefields in Belgium and France that made me connect so deeply to the play. My fond memories of visiting the monuments, memorials, cemeteries and museums came rushing back with every mention of each location in the show’s dialogue. The battlefields, once deadly and desolate, have been transformed into beautiful places of commemoration, making this one of the most thought-provoking and moving trips I will ever experience. It was one filled with harrowing stories of the soldiers, the songs they would have sung, and walking through the preserved trenches and tunnels they built. To my generation, the First World War is simply unfathomable, so whilst I could try to imagine the events which took place as I walked the steps of the British troops before me - the action of the play and minimal scenery used to portray this was able to transport my thinking back to those places with a whole new understanding of what happened there.

Rachel Wagstaff’s script is extraordinary. Though there are moments that I felt needed clarity, I could forgive these as they represented a time where there was none: the muddied waters of who lived and who died, and when this actually unfolded in the timeline, worked in the plays favour. The show’s book captures such a complicated and intrinsic plot of trauma, morality and reconciliation; forgiving who the heart falls for; and the social order of the early 1900s. The play explores classism and demonstrates no matter how rich and prosperous the wealthy became at the hands of industrial slave workers, everything boiled down to a disastrous four years where stories shifted from what one had, and what was now lost.

This is a unique theatre experience, though, as ‘Birdsong’ has been split into three separate acts. It is so unusual having two intervals in modern theatre productions, and this was the first of this kind I had encountered before. This lended itself well to Wagstaff’s writing: expertly split into very different pieces of the show. Each act had its own feel, changing settings and characters, and remained fragmented until the very end. Though the show has an impressive run time of around 3 hours, with each act feeling completely different to the one before, the momentum or curiosity is never lost. It means that the audience has a richer connection with each character and their backstories, so when it all inevitably ends tragically, dry eyes will be rare in the house.

The final monologue of the play is the one that will resonate with each and every audience member this week. It is haunting, thought provoking and unbelievably moving. It serves as a stark reminder that the First World War should have been the war to end all wars. Yet, even in 2025, we know that the world is far from being at peace. No matter how many minutes of silence we have totalled up since the Peace Treaty in 1918, many countries and their governments are yet to learn this lesson. The circular framing to modern day, with a grandson of Wraysford visiting his grandfather’s final resting place is beautiful and brought back memories of when my group did the same two years ago. I have since come across information about where one of my relative lies, and will make a point of visiting his grave in my lifetime. Last night's performance only reignited my urge to do so, and research my family history in more detail.

The story spans into further complexity than just a relationship between lovers during the war. Aside from the themes of industrialisation, brotherhood and classism - the play encompasses the difficult conversation surrounding domestic abuse and the women of the war - and how for one character, it is the horrendous war that has set her free, offering her a purpose. The representation of trauma is poignant too, illustrating a gradual shift between Jack’s initial disgusted reactions to the death of his friends, slowly transitioning into repressed reactions highlighting the dehumanisation of war.

James Esler makes his professional debut and leads the cast beautifully as Stephen Wraysford. His character is humble, yet flawed, and recognises conflicts beyond the traditional types. He is joined by Charlie Russell as Isabelle Azaire - and it is this pairing that brings so much depth to the show. It was refreshing to see that Russell’s character was headstrong, and even in times of despair, was not helpless - an extremely enriching take on a woman of the war. Natalie Radmall-Quirke plays her sister Jeanne Fourmentier, and I loved how much these characters complimented each other.

Max Bowden (EastEnders) is Jack Firebrace, a foil to Esler’s Wraysford in every sense. Having followed Bowden’s credited performances as Ben Mitchell in EastEnders for years, it was a sheer joy to see his work live. Jack’s story is separate, yet equally as gut wrenching.

I think this is what I loved about ‘Birdsong’ the most: all four of these characters were integral and each augmented what could have been a relatively simple portrayal of The Great War.

Alastair Whatley directs the piece - purposefully unspectacular to witness; but spectacular to experience. The lack of thrills and frills is immersive to its core, and allows tension to be slowly but fastidiously raised. I enjoyed this take on multi-rolling the actors too, using the same handful of performers for different parts in each act, allowing them to show off their range of dialect skills.

The show’s set is designed by Richard Kent, which is minimal and mostly stays the same for the entire show. Still, with only the addition of a few chairs and tables to change location, the mind completely leaves behind the previous setting, highlighting how flexible, versatile and masterful the stage design is. Allowing the escapism to happen fully, Jason Taylor heads the lighting design, and this was a particular highlight from the creative team. 

It was also lovely to hear some of the war songs, beautifully sung in harmony, a testament to how these tunes had the power to brighten up the darkest days, and bring the boys some much needed comfort. It certainly served a similar purpose for audience members last night.

Having walked into ‘Birdsong’ with very little knowledge of the title, I have been completely swept away by its richness and depth. It has, in fact, solidified itself as one of my favourite fictional stories of the war. Though its run time makes for a long sit, it is so worth it, and I highly encourage anyone to witness it - I reckon this could be the only time it tours for a while.

Credits

Instagram links: @theatregramuk, @aberdeenperformingarts, @birdsongplay

Review by Joel Simpson cc: theatregram@gmail.com

Production photos supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts