Birdsong, UK Tour (2024) Review

Reviewed by Hollie for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

Age Guidance: 15+. This production contains Pyros, Replica Weapons (not firing), Scenes of Sexual Nature, Nudity, Bad Language, Themes of War and Death, Abusive Behaviour, Smoke & Haze and Loud Noises.

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Sebastian Faulks’ famous and much loved romance and war novel Birdsong has embarked on a UK tour as part of the 30th anniversary of Sebastian’s writing. The well-known story provides the most beautiful descriptions of love, friendship and warfare ever written, so after reading it several years ago, I was intrigued to see how the novel could be adapted for the stage. 

The stage adaptation opens, with the colours red and green lighting the stage prominently and the sound of twittering birdsong in the background. Although the story is set in the 1900s and represents the era extremely well, this production feels very timeless and modern. 

This adaptation is told cleverly in three parts across different periods of time and from different character’s viewpoints. The show opens in the years before the war and sets the scene and background of the various characters. There is also a crossover between the modern day and history in the past, as an ancestor of one of the main protagonists can be seen looking round various cemeteries in France, to find his relative and find out his story. 

His relative’s story is told from the beginning, through the perspective of factory worker and textile manufacturer Stephen Wraysford, played by James Esler, a charmingly intelligent man with a lot of charisma. Whilst working at the Azaire family’s factory, he boards at Rene Azaire’s home, where Rene lives with his wife Isabelle and daughter Lisette. 

The changing relationships between these main protagonists are depicted beautifully, and the tale is told magnificently through subtle choreography, immersive soundscaping and an incredibly well chosen cast who form the main characters and the ensemble. These creative choices are interwoven throughout all three parts of the show and provide the production with a polished feel.

Throughout the first part of the show, the audience knows that the country is on the brink of war, and that provides the show with pace and anticipation regarding what will happen with the men and women in the future. That sense of speed is intensified when Stephen begins a forbidden romance with his employer’s wife. Not everyone is happy and not everything is as it seems, as the production closes for its first interval. 

Time passes, and as the curtain rises after the interval, the second part begins with the introduction of Stephen’s unit and miner Jack Firebrace, played by Max Bowden, digging tunnels in France in 1916. Max’s depiction of Jack Firebrace is superb and provides the production with renewed energy and many humorous moments. 

The camaraderie between the soldiers and the miners is explored through the main conversations and chants sung by the ensemble. Beautiful moments of reflection are provided through the songs sung by character Brennan, played by James Findlay. The inclusion of singing, poems and letters throughout the production, provide the audience with that realism and understanding of the war and how it affected both the men and the women across England and France. 

As Max and the boys dig tunnels and trenches close to the River Somme, Stephen, an officer during the war, battles with his feelings of love, anger and abandonment. Friendships are formed as the men lose comrades and go through some horrific times. These moments of battle and warfare are particularly poignant but also shocking for the audience members who may have had family members fight during World War I and II.

As the birds tweet and the clock ticks, the adaptable scenery provides realistic depictions of the war tunnels around the Somme, as well as the living room at the Azaire’s majestic home. Company Stage manager, Alyssa Elliott, has been able to create a beautiful set which becomes part of the story on stage, through the use of wooden scenery and props which emulate the materials of the time but also provide the audience with the ability to focus on the actors and their depictions of character. 

During the final part of the show the relationship between Isabelle, played by Charlie Russell, and her sister Jeanne, played by Natalie Radmall-Quirke, are explored as the war draws to a close and the production seeks to understand how people have changed since the end of the war. Shocks and surprises dominate the final part of the show as the sisters encounter problems, memories and change.

As the show draws to a close, the modern day part of the timeline is revisited and the audience members learn about the character’s relationships as well as their futures. 

The auditorium was pretty much sold out, however, I would have liked to have seen a younger crowd as part of the audience, as I think this production would be perfect for students studying History or English. 

As the curtains fall and the birdsong floats through the theatre, I can declare that this show is, without a doubt, my show of the year and I implore you to watch it when it arrives in a city near you. 

Birdsong continues its run at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal until Saturday 19th October 2024 before it moves to Chichester’s Festival Theatre, the Theatre Royal in Bath and Birmingham Rep before concluding at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen in February 2025. 

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆