Leader, maverick, drinker, Winston Churchill was many things, but how much do we really know about the British Prime Minister who led us to victory in World War II? Now, a new Redbridge Drama Centre touring production, which arrives at The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, on Monday, seeks to unveil the man behind the myth.
The award-winning playwright of At War With Churchill, Peter Wolf explains: “I wanted him to make sense to a modern audience and try to find a way into this guy who, for me, is not only remote and distant, but has become something of a caricature. A bald guy, who smoked a cigar and was unflappable in a crisis.”
The Harrogate-based playwright continues: “I wanted to look more at his role in shaping our destiny. At each point I’m asking, what would history have looked like without this phenomenal character.”
Bringing the one-time Epping and Woodford MP to life, the play invites audiences to take a fresh look at the man who is consistently voted Britain’s greatest Briton, as we follow him from his prisoner of war camp in South Africa, to the roofs of London in the Blitz, to the beaches of Dunkirk and to the bottom of a whiskey glass.
“We have worked hard to honour the good but at the same time enlighten people as to the many sides of his character and I hope people who have been through the war can take something from it.”
On a personal level, Peter’s father was involved in D Day, which he says gives him a “real connection” to Churchill in this the 70th anniversary year of the outbreak of World War II.
“Churchill was a guy that led from the front,” the former Wansted resident says. “We are not used to that now, we have a professional class of politicians. Father told me when they made plans for D Day, Churchill was on the first amphibious landing craft.
“When he was Home Secretary he had his hat shot off during the Sydney Street Siege and with Hitler he took it personally. He wanted to be parachuted into the Reichstag to sort it out. This was a guy that stood by what he said. He spent his whole life preparing for World War II, he was at war all his life, he was a battler.”
To emphasise this constant battle, the cast consists of only two actors, who are backed by original video footage and music by Malcolm Bruce.
“It was one of the ways I really wanted to focus on his duelling nature, “ the 50-year-old explains. “In every scene, even with the war cabinet there are only two people on stage. Mark Carlisle changes his hats to become every adversary Churchill ever had, while Neil Savage has the capacity to really bring Churchill to life while never going to the extreme of a cartoon version. We have kept it personal. Bringing it right back to one guy and the decisions he made that swayed history.”
So, does the production reach a conclusion on this great man?
“We want to leave it open, this character, Churchill, is far too enormous and contradictory to make a decision. The final word lies with the audience.”
As for Peter’s personal opinion, he jokes: “He has to be Britain’s greatest Briton but I’m not sure I would sit next to him on the bus.”
At War with Churchill arrives at The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch on Monday, September 21. Tickets: 01708 443333 or www.queens-theatre.co.uk (£7-£10). The play returns to the Redbridge Drama Centre on Saturday, October 3. Tickets: 020 8504 5451 or www.redbridgedramacentre.co.uk
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