Blackeyed Theatre’s production of Not About Heroes by Stephen MacDonald, filmed in 2014, will be streamed to audiences at home via YouTube at 8pm on Friday 25 June for a period of 24 hours. The archive recording, which has never previously been released, will also be available to schools free from 25 June until 2 July.
Stephen MacDonald’s beautifully written play chronicles the unique friendship that developed between First World War poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, from their first meeting in 1917 at Craiglockhart War hospital, where both were being treated for ‘war neurosis’, to their final meeting in August 1918, shortly before Owen’s return to active duty.
The role of Siegfried Sassoon is played by James Howard, currently appearing as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre). James’s other theatre work includes Brave New World (Royal & Derngate), Romeo & Juliet and As You Like It (RSC) and Twelfth Night and Ivanov (Donmar Warehouse). The role of Wilfred Owen is played by Ben Ashton, whose theatre credits include Romeo & Juliet (RSC), The Miser (Watermill Theatre) and King Lear (Guildford Shakespeare Company).
Not About Heroes is directed by Eliot Giuralarocca with original music composed by Tom Neill. Completing the artistic team are Victoria Spearing (Design), Charlotte McClelland (Lighting Design), Jenny Little (Costume Design) and Clive Elkington (Projection Design).
Stephen MacDonald’s acclaimed play interweaves extracts from diaries, letters and poems to paint a vivid and moving picture of the friendship between Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, as well as the conflict that brought them together. Featuring haunting music, innovative design and two powerful central performances, Not About Heroes is both exhilarating and uncompromising in its exploration of love, war and a friendship that changed the face of British poetry.
Adrian McDougall, Artistic Director of Blackeyed Theatre said: “Looking back on our 16 years of touring, Not About Heroes remains one of my highlights, a production that took a wonderful script and created a unique, visually-stunning and beautifully performed piece of theatre. It’s a performance that deserves to be seen and, as we emerge from the pandemic, a piece that will I’m sure chime with audiences.”
Schools wishing to access the play should email [email protected] to request log in details.
https://youtu.be/p6HHW9Vebew
