The GRANDFATHERS.

THE GRANDFATHERS : A play written for young actors by British writer Rory Mullarkey. Directed by James Richardson. A production by the Third Wall Academy, a training programme for young actors affiliated with the Third Wall Theatre

Reviews are brief so I will get to the point. The production shows serious weaknesses in directing. It is essentially an ensemble piece that gives momentary voice to several individuals respresenting individual problems. We see a group of young recruits being whipped into shape by a Sargent. They go through all the tough rituals that young soldiers are subjected to. We see them exercising on a simulated (or possibly real?) battlefield followed by the training programme which is gruelling. However, none of this is believable and they have chosen a partially grungy realistic performance style  which makes it even more difficult because we sense that they are dealing with  a situation which they have never experienced.  First scene, the group is under fire. The actors are not terrified, not panic stricken not horrified, not fearful, its all external acting in spite of this gut wrenching situation. The direction of actors is terribly weak. The mime is sloppy, the emotions are phony, the sargent should be a sadistic and aggressive terror but the actor does not seem to be involved in the play and she slips over her words. The only authentic realism is the puffing and sweating we see after a lot of physical activity but none of it is internalized….The only exception is a talented young woman named Helen Thai. She is “Val”, going through a bayonet thrusting ritual  to learn  how to become a killer and it disturbs her to such an extent she cannot stick her weapon into the fleshy target.

Perhaps a work in progress but not ready for the public at the moment.