Review - Geoff Dead: Disco For Sale
October 16, 2008
Date Reviewed: 15 October, 2008
Venue: Live Theatre, Newcastle
Every so often you know within the first few minutes of a production that you are witnessing something special and so it is with Geoff Dead: Disco For Sale. Writer Fiona Evans and director Deborah Bruce have brought us a play which at admittedly at times is funny, but mainly thought provoking and heart wrenching. It leaves you wondering how the families, in this true life story, have coped over the years and will be able to continue their fight for a public enquiry in to the deaths of their children.
On the face of it this does not seem to be an ideal night out at the theatre, but I doubt you will see a more worthy play, which holds the audience’s attention throughout, for many years to come. Despite the standing ovation, the audience left the theatre in almost total silence, such was the impact of the play.
The name Deepcut is familiar to everyone for the deaths of Private Sean Benton, Cheryl James, Geoff Gray and James Collinson. The families are still calling for a public enquiry six years after the last death at the army barracks and over two years since the Blake Review ruled out the need for any such enquiry.
The play gives the leading two actors Deka Walmsly as Geoff Gray Senior and Libby Davison as Diane Gray powerful material to work with and both rise to the challenge. I have never seen Davison give such a performance, she is captivating as Geoff mother. While the pair stay in character throughout the rest of the cast play several roles each, with everyone giving a first rate performance.
The story is told from the point a view of Geoff Gray’s parents, who take us on a journey from the day they were told of their son’s death, through the harrowing time of identifying the body, the funeral and the aftermath of trying to find out the truth. At the start it feels as if we are at a lecture as they speak directly to the audience but quickly we are taken on a sad, harrowing journey.
Over the years they befriend the family of James Collinson and together fight for justice. Clearly they are not against the army, but just like any parent, they want to know the truth about how their children died.
We catch glimpses of their lives as they continue their fight and feel the hurt as no one seems to be offering assistance or help, as they doggedly fight the system.
The message really hits home when the fathers try to work out how Geoff committed suicide by managing to shoot himself twice in the head. The independent ballistics report showed the rifle had to be pointing downwards on to the forehead to match the marks on the body. The only way they could get that to match up was for the victim to be kneeling while the gun is pointed downwards, to actually be holding the gun and shoot yourself twice seems impossible.
While not wanting to spoil a surprise in the play, it is safe to say that this powerful piece of acting and writing is so good, that on press night two audience members became so engrossed in the emotive story that they unintentionally heckled a member of the cast. This actually blurred the lines of fact and fiction even more and added to the already mesmerising piece.
The awful truth is, while I cannot recommend this play highly enough, you cannot say you enjoy it as you know the parents and families of the soldiers are still suffering and their lives have been wrecked forever.
They cannot settle until the public enquiry is granted, no parent could, until then they will keep this story in the media spotlight as much as possible as that is the only way it will happen. This play will certainly do that and no doubt in time it will rightly be turned in to a film or television version. What is less certain with each passing year is if the parents will ever find the answers they desperately need and deserve.
Once again the Live Theatre has hit the bullseye with this production, which deserves to sell out at every performance.
- John Dixon
Comments
Got something to say?
-
Recent Posts
Advertisement
Other Regional Sites