R. C. Sherriff’s 1928 tale of life in the trenches at the tail end of World War I was, remarkably, his first professional work, despite feeling like a master storyteller at the top of his game. Part of the reason it feels so viscerally realistic is that Sherriff drew directly own experiences: in the programme notes, he is quoted as saying that he “merely had to write down what people said.”
In the play, a small platoon takes over a trench for what is supposed to be a week, but they soon realise that the Germans are planning a major offensive in a few days’ time – and while nobody will say it outright, there’s realisation that few, if any, of them are expected to survive. New to the platoon is 2nd Lieutenant Raleigh (Graham Butler), an eager young pup who was a childhood friend of the platoon’s commander, Captain Stanhope (James Norton).
After three years in the field, though, Stanhope is not the devil-may-care pal of Raleigh’s youth: while he is absolutely, utterly respected, indeed loved, by those in his command, his only real friend is found in a bottle.