September 29, 2009
Sherman Cymru theatre are fairly well-known for their plays on social injustice; they have previously produced a play about the death of Stephen Lawrence, and are committed to helping bereaved families get to the bottom of what happened to their loved ones, via the medium of theatre. This time, they have turned their attentions to the Deepcut Barracks case of 1995-2002, where four soldiers were found dead with gunshot wounds. The play's central protagonist's are the parents of Private Cheryl James, one of this troop, and the play revolves around their fight for a public inquiry into her death, refusing to accept the official verdict of suicide.
The set designs in this play are excellent. Writer Philip Ralph has, admittedly, done an impressive amount of research in regards to this project, but I personally found the use of verbatim in this play a little tiresome. He argues in the preface to the accompanying book that the use of verbatim is essential to getting the message of the play across effectively, however I found it rather grating after a while and I would argue that this is a particular case that could have been illustrated just as effectively with a little more dramatic tension. The acting is fine, with particularly good performances coming from Pip Donaghy and Janice Cramer as Des and Doreen James, Cheryl's parents, and also from Amy Morgan as Jonesy, a contemporary of Cheryl's at Deepcut.
In its defence, the play certainly makes a strong case for a full public inquiry. You get the feeling that Deepcut, with its stories of sexual deviance and bullying, was rife with inappropriate conduct; the theory of suicide does seem somewhat questionable when you take into account aspects such as this. You cannot help but admire Ralph for throwing his time into such a worthy project; his dedication to helping the families of the dead troops really shines through, and it is this humane, considerate approach which lifts the play that little bit more. Flawed it may be, but Deep Cut is well worth a look. The longer it tours, the more chance the families will have of finding out what happened to their loved ones. And that, surely, is enough for you to show your support.
The set designs in this play are excellent. Writer Philip Ralph has, admittedly, done an impressive amount of research in regards to this project, but I personally found the use of verbatim in this play a little tiresome. He argues in the preface to the accompanying book that the use of verbatim is essential to getting the message of the play across effectively, however I found it rather grating after a while and I would argue that this is a particular case that could have been illustrated just as effectively with a little more dramatic tension. The acting is fine, with particularly good performances coming from Pip Donaghy and Janice Cramer as Des and Doreen James, Cheryl's parents, and also from Amy Morgan as Jonesy, a contemporary of Cheryl's at Deepcut.
In its defence, the play certainly makes a strong case for a full public inquiry. You get the feeling that Deepcut, with its stories of sexual deviance and bullying, was rife with inappropriate conduct; the theory of suicide does seem somewhat questionable when you take into account aspects such as this. You cannot help but admire Ralph for throwing his time into such a worthy project; his dedication to helping the families of the dead troops really shines through, and it is this humane, considerate approach which lifts the play that little bit more. Flawed it may be, but Deep Cut is well worth a look. The longer it tours, the more chance the families will have of finding out what happened to their loved ones. And that, surely, is enough for you to show your support.