Over By Christmas

This production of “Over By Christmas” – memories of the two world wars in words and music – was community theatre at its best.  The company of over thirty included school children as well as senior citizens, and collectively they demonstrated that it is possible to conjure up something magical in an unexceptional school hall in November.  Just about every creative decision fed into the show’s success.  The presentation drew on a wide variety of sources – from popular songs to poetry, from archive footage to personal recollections – which ranged from entertaining to deeply affecting.  The production was performed in the round, which drew everyone into a shared experience, and dispensed with the need for much scenery.  Time and place were established through projections, and through the excellent costumes which exactly captured the styles prevalent during the world wars: they had an authenticity which could withstand close scrutiny as the performers were literally feet away from the audience.  The whole piece was infused with a spirit of respect and gratitude, culminating in the reciting of the names of local people who had lost their lives in the world wars, with some members of the cast recalling their own relatives.  The whole evening was a powerful act of remembrance.

The structure of the piece was quite straightforward, with the First World War considered before the interval, and the Second World War following on.  Within each act the elements were arranged chronologically, so a strong narrative thread was maintained, and a good balance between the music and humour, the poetry and pain, was evident throughout.

This was a remarkable production, and a terrific achievement by the co-directors who compiled the show and I suspect brought complementary perspectives and experiences to the presentation.  Basic skills had been properly addressed: apart from occasional moments the cast knew their lines and hit their cues crisply, and despite the odd instance of performing straight up and down the hall proper adjustments had been made for a presentation “in the round”.  The Musical Director coaxed some very natural but accurate singing from the company as well as playing the piano with sensitivity and skill.  The powerful and unifying slide show was synchronised to the sound of a typewriter printing out the captions, while the lighting design was well suited to the staging and the subject matter.  And the wardrobe team had sourced some excellent costumes in keeping with the eras of the two world wars; the knitted sleeveless pullovers were spot-on, the dresses, aprons and shawls were entirely convincing, the military uniforms appeared completely authentic, and the overalls and hair scarves were simply “Rosie the Riveter” brought to life.  The costumes could withstand the closest scrutiny, and were complemented by similarly period shoes, boots, hats and hairstyles.

Parades and fly-pasts and civic events are all important aspects of remembrance, but this was something different.  This was conflict as experienced by ordinary people.  This was the story of a small community caught up in global events.  This was the resurrection of ghosts from a collective past.  This was a show to live long in the memory.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.