大象传媒

For King and Country, written by John Wilson, is set against the backdrop of听 Passchendaele, one of the First World War's most brutal encounters. This searing play, although less well known, stands in the same league as Journey's End and brings home the dehumanising effect of war on the individuals and the society the soldiers believe they are fighting to protect.

A cast member in Ypres

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of accompanying the production team and the director Tristram Powell to Ypres in Belgium, where the battle of Passchendaele took place.听 As we battled the elements on a cold January day, our discomfort paled into insignificance as we contemplated the thousands of cold, wet and hungry soldiers fighting and dying in muddy trenches for months and years on end.

The rows upon rows of white head stones in Tyne Cott Cemetery and the endless lists of names etched into the surrounding walls physicalized in dreadful proportions the enormity of human loss during the war.听 Tyne Cott is just one of the many cemeteries that haunt the landscape in Ypres.

Battle continued until November, hampered by the unseasonably heavy rain.听 The final halt was ordered at the village of Passchendaele on 10th November.听 'The nation must be taught to bear losses' was Haig's justification for persisting in using a strategy that killed a total of 25,000 soldiers on each side.听听

A grave at Ypres

With such horror, it is not surprising that soldiers who survived such battles were deeply disturbed by what they had experienced.听 In For King and Country, a young private named Hamp is at the heart of this tale of war.听 It is his unwitting refusal to accept the brutal machine of military justice that is both intensely moving and emotionally devastating.

The events of the play take place towards the end of the battle of Passchendaele.听 After three years of honourable service in the trenches, the loss of the majority of his comrades (Hamp is the last one alive in his enlistment) and the experience of seeing a friend blown to pieces by a shell by a recent bombardment, Hamp simply decides to 'walk away from the guns.'听 He is arrested by military police near Calais and charged with desertion.

Ultimately, it is Hamp's accumulative battle experiences that prompted his decision to walk away from the barracks without a plan and without any motive than to remove himself from the sound of the guns.听 Hargreaves, his lawyer, realises that this is a man under severe duress with probable 'shell-shock' and his compassion coupled with a sense of injustice propels him to fight for Hamp's life.

The production team in Ypres

It wasn't until the years after the war that there was a greater understanding of shell shock, and it was brought into focus by the true life case of Harry Farr.听 He joined the elite British Expeditionary Force at the beginning of the Great War and fought in the trenches.听 In May 1915, he collapsed with strong convulsions and was unable to stop shaking.听 Despite his health, he was sent back to the front and fought at the Somme.听 After several months, he requested medical help for his worsening condition, but he was refused.听 Farr refused to return to the front and was sent to Court Martial.听 His death warrant was signed by General Sir Douglas Haig, and he was shot at dawn on October 16th 1916.

After Farr's death, it became evident that he was suffering from acoustic shock which occurs when the inner ear is damaged by sound causing it to lose its ability to soften and filter sound, making loud noises physically unbearable.听 Farr's family always argued that Harry Farr was suffering from shell shock and in 1992 the family discovered that some of the execution papers were being released.听 When they assessed the papers, they discovered that their relative had been dragged kicking and screaming back to the front when he actually needed urgent medical treatment.
306 soldiers were executed during the First World War for military offences and despite a sustained campaign, John Major's government refused to grant a pardon.听

However, 14 years later on 15 August 2006, Harry Farr's family announced that Farr was to be granted a pardon and that the then Defence Secretary, Des Browne, would be seeking a statutory group pardon, one that is achieved through an Act of Parliament for all those executed regardless of the merits of individual cases.
It wasn't until 7th November 2006 that all those soldiers shot for desertion were given a posthumous pardon.听 This could be interpreted either as a move to avoid the numerous court cases and save the potential embarrassment that would have arisen if the case of Harry Farr had completed its course through to the High Court, or a righting of atrocities that were carried out by the British Government on her own citizens.听

Rehearsal

Tristram Powell's sensitivity, intellect and commitment towards bringing this dark and haunting episode of military history onto the stage made a deep impression on me, and I trust that the play For King and Country will offer a truly unforgettable experience to audiences.听 Tristram Powell has the credentials to support his personal qualities as his previous work includes Alan Bennett's Talking Heads for the 大象传媒 and the wartime detective drama Foyle's War for ITV.听听

The production is supported by a top West End creative team and a terrifically talented cast, who will bring you right to the core of this tale of military injustice through the eyes of an innocent and endearing young man, so don't miss it!