Bully Boy

Synopsis

Major Oscar Hadley is flown to the front line to probe allegations of severe misconduct within a self-styled ‘Bully Boy’ unit of the British army. When young squaddie, Eddie Clark, from Burnley is interrogated Oscar begins to discover that ‘truth’ in a modern insurgency can be a point of view rather than a fact. Sandi Toksvig tackles the challenging moral issues of contemporary military occupation and its effect on the mental health of serving soldiers. She asks the question, ‘What makes a hero?’ In this ferociously gripping story, Sandi Toksvig writes with startling insight and tenderness about the minds of soldiers.

Our Review:

Simon Cole - 13 May 2011

A rare foray into serious drama for author and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, Bully Boy, is set within a British army unit overseas in the middle of a contemporary military occupation. Major Oscar Hadley (Anthony Andrews) is sent to the frontline to investigate allegations of misconduct by British army soldiers and has to interrogate young squaddie Eddie Clark (Joshua Miles). It becomes apparent that the rules of engagement can shift and definitions of what makes a hero can be fluid in situations where soldiers are put under enormous physical and mental pressure.

Shocking - in part - harrowing and enlightening, Bully Boy is a million miles away from the work Sandi Toksvig is best known for, but is still full of her familiar razor sharp witty one-liners, and intelligent humour which skilfully puncture the mood just when the drama gets too intense to bear. This is a realistic depiction of just how young humans, barely more than children, get by in the most unimagin...

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Latest User Review

DH - 19 May 2011:

Amazing play, great set, it was totally absorbing with fantastic performances by Anthony Andrews and Joshua Miles. I was blown away. ...

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