{"id":5277,"date":"2025-02-20T22:20:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T22:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/?p=5277"},"modified":"2025-02-25T17:22:58","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T17:22:58","slug":"birdsong-a-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/arts\/2025\/02\/20\/birdsong-a-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Birdsong: a Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kirsten Koss and Emily Reid\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A story of love and loss, intertwined with the harsh reality of the First World War.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Birdsong<\/span><\/i>, Rachel Wagstaff\u2019s stage adaptation of Sebastian Fauks\u2019 <\/span>Birdsong<\/span><\/i> makes its penultimate stop of its UK tour at His Majesty\u2019s Theatre, Aberdeen this week. With one of us having hastily read approximately half of the book in the weeks leading up to the show, we had a brief idea what to expect, the themes of a forbidden love and the atrocities of war spanning the first 200 pages of the book. What we saw was nothing short of incredible \u2013 and a true testament to a star-studded cast and crew.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reader\u2019s perspective – Kirsten\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It is a true task turning a critically acclaimed novel of over 400 pages into a captivating play, and I was admittedly dubious. But Rachel Wagstaff does an excellent job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Much like the book, the stage show is separated into 3 acts. Having read the book, I felt the first 20 pages or so were a bit of a struggle to get through, and I was curious how the play would portray it. Faulks\u2019 writing style felt unfamiliar to me, and I found it hard to connect with the characters..<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the show\u2019s beginning differs from the book. It is set in the present day with a young man identifying himself as protagonist Stephen Wraysford\u2019s grandson searching for his grandfather\u2019s grave. In contrast to the book, I immediately felt a connection to the characters \u2013 perhaps feeling I knew them from the novel \u2013 and yet like the book, I felt that Isabelle and Stephen\u2019s love story was too fast. It is one of few criticisms, but it was hard to believe that barely 30 minutes in, Stephen is declaring his undying love to Isabelle. The actors do a terrific job with the material they are given, but the love story feels as rushed on stage as it did in print.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are some notable deviations from the book. Ren<\/span>\u00e9 Azaire\u2019s son Gregoire is missing from the stage adaptation, but given his role is largely nondescript in the book, this doesn\u2019t feel like much of a loss. Monsieur B\u00e9rard, written in the book as a chauvinist capitalist, retains his almost evil nature from the book. Still, Roger Rinrose\u2019s portrayal brings a degree of humour to the character that makes his musical outbursts and strange behaviour oddly amusing, even if his misogyny returns perception of the character to slightly disturbing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of particular strength is the scene involving the first rendez-vous between Stephen and Isabelle. We see the Englishman tending to Isabelle\u2019s needs, in stark contrast to her treatment at the hands of her abusive husband Monsieur Azaire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Act 1 ends after Isabelle and Stephen run off together, and although we don\u2019t get to see the two lovers finding their feet together as they did in the book, their story is woven into Act 2, where we see Stephen take on his role as a British Army Commander on the Western Front in 1916 war-torn France. It\u2019s a fitting tribute to Stephen\u2019s love \u2013 and lust \u2013 for Isabelle to see him longing for his lover years on from when we\u2019re informed that she had left him. Unlike in the book, viewers are left wondering why she left, and for the sake of spoilers, I won\u2019t tell you here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is in Act 2 where the show becomes unmissable. In contrast to what I had expected, very little had been done to transform the set. Yet the excellent use of sound and lighting immerses viewers in the trenches and tunnels of war-torn France. A ticket to the show comes with a long list of trigger warnings, and loud noises is one to pay particular attention to. Contrastingly, throughout the show the sound of bird song is a pleasant ode, both to the title of the play, but also a symbol of hope amid the tragedies of the first world war.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For me, the stand out moment comes in Act 2 when the soldiers are seen writing to their loved ones; tunneller and deuteragonist Jack Firebrace to his wife, Stephen to Isabelle, and the others to their families before going on the attack against the Germans in the Battle of the Somme. For me this is a standout moment in the show as Brennan\u2019s (played by James Findlay) folk singing cements the melancholic camaraderie the men feel, writing to their families while trapped in the grips of war.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I went into <\/span>Birdsong <\/span><\/i>knowing that it wouldn\u2019t disappoint. I wasn\u2019t familiar with much of the cast, but with the likes of award-winning actor Max Bowden (best known for playing Ben Mitchell in <\/span>EastEnders<\/span><\/i>) taking on the role of Jack Firebrace, I knew that the show would be spectacular… and I wasn\u2019t wrong. In particular, I come away from the show excited to see what is next in store for James Esler (Wraysford) and Charlie Russell (Isabelle Azaire) who give show-stopping performances. Sargon Yelfa (M. Azaire\/Gray) does an excellent job of portraying both his characters, but I must say his Edinburgh accent was almost reminiscent of Mike Myers\u2019 attempt in Shrek.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This show really is an epic deep-dive into love and loss which you absolutely must see while it is in the Granite City.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Non-reader\u2019s Perspective – Emily\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you possess the appreciation for a moving performance, this production will not disappoint you. This dedicated cast took the audience on an intimate, emotional journey from beginning to end, never failing to remind us of the crucial message that <\/span>\u201cthere is nothing more than to love and be loved.\u201d <\/span><\/i>Coming to this production with very little knowledge, I was, naturally, not sure what to expect. Perhaps my open mind and fresh perspective is a gift in this sense; being able to sit back and absorb, without the disadvantage of expectation. Featuring scenes of dynamic passion and desire, the winding tunnels of the First World War, and the earnest friendships created within them, this tragic but enlightening play is one of a kind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Act 1, we are introduced to the characters whose lives we would follow going forward. Set in France, we meet the Englishman Stephen Wraysford (James Esler) as he finds himself intertwined in a complex love story with Isabelle Azaire (Charlie Russell). After a romantic affair and professions of love, Stephen convinces Isabelle to leave her abusive husband and run away with him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Act 2 begins, we travel through time to WWI to learn that Stephen is a commander, in charge of a group of men, and Isabelle has left him. His mental torment as he attempts to understand why she left is artfully displayed in Esler\u2019s portrayal of the character, all the while he is surrounded by bloody war. This change comes as a sharp contrast to the previous Act; from quiet, domestic scenes of France, with only undertones of tension, to the authentic scenes of the trenches and tunnels, nowhere to hide from the brutality of war. With the simple but intimate scenery, the audience feels transported to mid-war France, as we are made to feel as though we are right there with them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Act 3 continues this narrative, and, as each character struggles with their own challenges in faith and loss, we come to terms with our own life\u2019s fragility and what it means to love and be loved. Writer Rachel Wagstaff and Director Alastair Whatley did not shy away from showing the harsh conditions of war, with each character dealing with their own inner battle. The character of Michael Tipper (Raif Clarke), for example, who, at only the age of 15, took his own life before facing the Battle of the Somme. This jarring scene left the audience in shock, and expertly displayed an undeniable reality of war.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Complimenting the heartfelt acting, the set and design provided an even more immersive experience. From Designer<\/span> Richard Kent\u2019s set, inspired by the war and culture of the time, to the makeup providing the very fine details to make the production as authentic as possible, not much more was needed to transport us to World War I. Not to mention the moving soundtrack involving both live singing, recorded audio and realistic sounds of gunfire and explosions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as war takes over the lives of everyone in it, for the evening I spent watching it, <\/span>Birdsong<\/span><\/i> took over my life. This performance brought to life the experiences of love and loss during war in the first world war, leaving audience members in a heart-wrenched state. I would implore anyone, whether you consider yourself a fan of theatre or not, to witness this (legendary) production while it is in Aberdeen. If anything, be prepared to shed a tear!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kirsten Koss and Emily Reid\u00a0 A story of love and loss, intertwined with the harsh reality of the First World War.\u00a0 Birdsong, Rachel Wagstaff\u2019s stage adaptation of Sebastian Fauks\u2019 Birdsong makes its penultimate stop of its UK tour at His Majesty\u2019s Theatre, Aberdeen this week. With one of us having hastily read approximately half […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","iawp_total_views":41,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,151],"tags":[1084,524,1085,1086,523],"wf_post_folders":[211],"class_list":{"0":"post-5277","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-arts","7":"category-reviews","8":"tag-birdsong","9":"tag-musical","10":"tag-rachel-wagstaff","11":"tag-sebastian-fauks","12":"tag-theatre"},"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"Kirsten Koss","author_link":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/author\/kirsten-koss\/"},"featured_img":null,"coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Arts<\/a>","Reviews<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Arts<\/span>","Reviews<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Birdsong<\/a>","Musical<\/a>","Rachel Wagstaff<\/a>","Sebastian Fauks<\/a>","Theatre<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Birdsong<\/span>","Musical<\/span>","Rachel Wagstaff<\/span>","Sebastian Fauks<\/span>","Theatre<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 1 year ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 20 February 2025","modified":"Updated on 25 February 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 20 February 2025 22:20","modified":"Updated on 25 February 2025 17:22"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5277"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5282,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5277\/revisions\/5282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5277"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=5277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}