A trip to the Royal Court always offers a thought-provoking experience. Following their roots, with a commitment to giving space to new writing, Minefield was an engaging addition to their daring and innovative season of new work. Utilising a Brechtian aesthetic, Minefield is a fascinating evening of storytelling, bringing the personal experiences of Falkland’s War Veterans to larger provocations around war, death and the choosing of sides.
Minefield brings to life the stories of six Argentine and British veterans who, working closely with playwright and director Lola Arias, developed the piece in a rehearsal period lasting longer than the Falklands war itself. The piece allows them to come to perform their own stories in collaboration with LIFT festival, an organisation dedicated to bringing global stories to the London stage. Over the course of 100 minutes, the veterans lead us through their experiences of war; the before, the events themselves and the aftermath of their involvement.
Playing themselves, the cast recreate scenes from their experiences live on-stage through a mixture of live music, foley-like sound effects, live camera feeds, projection and multi-roling. This theatrical conglomerate creates a playful atmosphere; all theatrical machinations are exposed, removing emotionality from the recreation of their memories and allowing the audience to understand their stories in a wider, and less emotionally exploitative, context. The sketch-like format covers a mix of the cast’s own personal memories, factual information, socio-political contexts and object-driven scenes, but for me, the most powerful element of the piece came in the form of the live music played by the cast, which allowed rawness and emotionality, without sensationalism.
The piece begins by definitively dividing the cast along lines of country and language; the British versus the Argentines. This is reflected throughout the piece in the language barriers between the cast themselves, half speaking only Spanish, half speaking only English, and surtitles frame the stage to both demonstrate and undermine this linguistic barrier. But as the piece continues, it is the disintegration and blurring of this division that lends poignancy to both their experiences of war and their present attempt to reconcile difference through theatre. An informative and interesting insight into an often overlooked area of history, Minefield deals with a challenging subject in a new and interesting way, coming to epitomise cultural divisions at the forefront of British politics and encouraging us all to reconcile around broader and more human commonalities.
Sonia Friedman Productions, Neal Street Productions & Royal Court Theatre Productions present
The Ferryman
By Jez Butterworth Directed by Sam Mendes
Jez Butterworth’s new play, directed by Sam Mendes, to transfer to the Gielgud Theatre from the Royal Court for 16 weeks from 20 June.
Paddy Considine is confirmed to play the part of Quinn Carney within a cast of 23 and he will be joined by Laura Donnelly in the role of Caitlin Carney and Genevieve O’Reilly in the role of Mary Carney.
The Ferryman is the fastest selling play in the history of the Royal Court Theatre.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday 10 February at 9am.
Over 20,000 tickets for the West End run will be on sale at less than £25, with tickets at all performances from just £12. All tickets for previews will be at reduced prices.
After the short run at the Royal Court Theatre sold out in just one day, the producers are delighted to announce that Jez Butterworth’s epic, new play The Ferryman will transfer to the West End. Multi award-winning actor, director and writer Paddy Considine will be joined by Laura Donnelly and Genevieve O’Reilly in the production directed by Sam Mendes. The cast will also include Bríd Brennan, Turlough Convery, Fra Fee, Tom Glynn-Carney, Stuart Graham, Gerard Horan, Carla Langley, Des McAleer, Conor MacNeill, Rob Malone, Dearbhla Molloy, Eugene O’Hare and Niall Wright with further casting to be announced. The full company comprises 38 performers: 18 main adults, 7 covers, 12 children on rota and 1 baby.
Rural Derry, 1981. The Carney farmhouse is a hive of activity with preparations for the annual harvest. A day of hard work on the land and a traditional night of feasting and celebrations lie ahead. But this year they will be interrupted by a visitor.
The Ferryman will run at the Gielgud Theatre for 16 weeks from 20 June – 7 October with an opening night on 29 June. Tickets go on sale to priority bookers on Wednesday 8 February and the Box Office opens for general on-sale on Friday 10 February at 9am.
Listing
Sonia Friedman Productions, Neal Street Productions & Royal Court Theatre Productions present
