Reviews

One Night in November (Coventry)

The home grown tale of Coventry’s infamous Blitz plays on the Belgrade’s main stage once again. Kieran Johnson visits the show to find out why it is so popular with Coventry audiences.

Delving into the historic past of Coventry, this Belgrade production hits home with many locals, as its very human story of the infamous Coventry Blitz is a raw and emotional journey from start to finish.

Focusing on one family and their personal struggle through the war, this particular raid on Coventry is like no other. In fact, November 14 1940 subjected the city to the single most comprehensive bombing of any UK city, with much of the city being completely destroyed.

Following the Stanley family throughout the piece, Katie meets Michael Green who, unbeknown to her, works for the government in cracking German codes. Upon the discovery that Coventry was to be a target of the brutal attack, it follows the struggle that Michael faces when demanded to not reveal this to the public, including his new love interest, Katie.

Writer Alan Pollock describes that his inspiration for the play came from the revelations that Churchill allegedly chose to sacrifice Coventry to avoid letting the Germans realise their codes had been deciphered.

It’s no surprise that this is the fourth time the theatre have revived this home grown play.