The Great War – groundbreaking drama
Once in a while you see something quite extraordinary in the theatre, and this was so with The Great War at the Everyman Theatre. This was a British premiere of the work, brought here by Rotterdam’s Hotel Modern, and it is to be hoped that they can return to Liverpool with their groundbreaking drama.
Letters and diaries of First World War soldiers are brought to life through live animation. As we listen to the thoughts and messages from these men, their stories are told .before us on screen. We see behind the drama of conflict and are reminded that war is about real lives. The futility and horror of fighting is powerfully expressed through puppetry and other art forms. The invention of this company is breathtaking as you watch the devastation of lives unfold before you.
No-one could fail to be moved by these stories of loss and tragedy, and The Great War is particularly pertinent in our world’s current trauma. This company show how deeply affecting theatre can be and the Everyman and Liverpool Playhouse are to be congratulated for their perception in bringing us such an astonishingly inventive and unbearably touching production. More please!
November 2001
