RSC – Days of Significance (Tour – Newcastle)

Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne

The RSC return to Newcastle with a line-up that includes Roy Williams’ Days of Significance.  

When the opportunity came up to see ‘a play about the war’ my first reaction was one of uncertainty. Was this really how I wanted to spend my Thursday night?

But often in this job you end up seeing things that you wouldn’t normally choose for yourself. And if you’re lucky, they turn out to be gems like this.

We are hurled straight in to the action, as two young men brawl in a city centre on a Friday night. It’s a brawl that actually started in the foyer, so even before the lights have gone down we know we are on a battleground.

Whether it be the street outside a nightclub or a road in Basra, a physical fight or a verbal one, we never leave this battlefield.

Jamie (George Rainsford) and Ben (Toby Wharton) have signed up to the Army. The former is a hothead, the latter more considered but neither is equipped to deal with the reality of war and react very differently when they find themselves in its midst.

For all the first and second scenes focus on the two young squaddies – the first before they are due to leave for Iraq and the second during their tour of duty – it is the third scene which I really felt was the crux of the play. The aftermath.

Yes it is about the soldiers, but just as important are those they leave behind. And come home to. These are ordinary people who have the war come crashing in to their lives. For them it is no longer just footage on the news. Joanna Horton and Sarah Ridgeway as the boys’ girlfriends Hannah and Trish embody the hope, fear, loyalty and uncertainty of friends and family – both giving excellent performances.

Part of Williams’ skill is creating believable characters – these are the young men and women you might see out in the Bigg Market. Yes they are extreme – lairy, violent, foul-mouthed, indecent – but they are also allowed gentler moments. Jamie’s slow dance with Hannah is a tender break from all the chaos. The characters feel modern, vital in a piece that couldn’t be any more of-the-moment if it tried but avoids a condescending or lecturing tone.  

Shakespeare fans can enjoy picking up the moments inspired by Much Ado About Nothing in Trish (aka Beatrice) and Ben(edict)’s verbal onslaughts, although it soon moves away from comparisons to the Bard’s text and in to an altogether darker place.

Maria Aberg’s production is well designed and resonates with a passionate power.  This is a brutal, provocative play that comes at you full force and makes no apologies for it.

All of the cast excel, with particular mention for Horton and David Kennedy as step-father Lenny – their final emotional scene packs a punch that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.