Blackadder goes forth

 GDS chose this play to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. The show is set in 1917 in the front line trenches of the western front and the irony of locating General Melchett and Captain Darling some 35 miles behind the front line was certainly not lost on Blackadder fans. Although presented as a comedy, this play does not trivialise the horrors of war. Many of the terrible conditions pertaining to trench warfare and the misguided orders of distant commanders are revealed in the script. There was excellent characterisation consistently delivered by the cast throughout the performance which conveyed the impression that here was a band of soldiers that had bonded together to stand firm in the face of the enemy. Clear diction and good projection ensured that none of the comedic input from the authors was lost. The sets were designed and constructed in such a way that they appeared to be very much part of the theatre of war in which they were located. The uniforms and costumes were appropriate to the period, as was the make-up. Despite generating a huge amount of mirth during the performance the ending of this play was most moving and poignant. This production attracted huge audiences and the Society is to be commended for raising funds for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal through their raffle and the sale of poppy products, with the licence fees for the show going to Comic Relief. As from next year, sixth formers studying the new English literature A-level designed by the exam board AQA will be able to use the final series of this BBC hit comedy in a paper on the poetry, prose and drama of the First World War and its aftermath. 

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