Poppies shone during its one night at the Camden People’s Theatre. A one‑act play starring Jim Spencer Broadbent, GAIT’s creative director, and Johnjoe Irwin, the show’s co‑creator, the play engages the audience with debate, humour and thought‑provoking writing.
Two friends, Jim and Johnjoe, debate over the course of about an hour whether or not Jim should wear a poppy. All the big issues are discussed as they do: colonialism vs republicanism, patriotism vs idealism, Supermac’s vs McDonald’s.
Johnjoe is meant to be the louder, more charismatic of the two, and Irwin performs the role fantastically. The pair are very believable as best friends, arguing and making up and arguing again with an easy, natural cadence. Despite it featuring only two actors, save for a suspicious audience member briefly plucked from the crowd for comic relief, the play never feels boring. The set is minimal – a few boxes and a chair or two – and the actors do a good job of transforming the area into a living room, a classroom, an office and even Graham Norton’s green room.
In the wake of Theroux’s Manosphere, Poppies discusses toxic masculinity without hammering home the point. It is a play about men, in what feels like an open and honest look at masculinity, identity and friendship. Aside from masculinity, the key theme throughout is Irish vs English identity, and the pair trade shots about the World Wars, the Famine and the Troubles, as well as more localised issues: respecting one another’s culture, the line between harmless banter and bullying, and the line between having the craic and insulting someone’s identity. Poppies come up a lot too.
While much of the subject matter deals with history, modern and relatable references are present throughout. The play generally feels contemporary without feeling forced; references to Soldier F or Dougie Shelley land well, even if the Charli XCX gag feels a little shoehorned.
Overall, Poppies explores difficult themes in a light‑hearted way. The pair are quick to introduce humour, keeping the production entertaining. It ends powerfully and while the one‑act is just two men discussing (to death) the concept of wearing a poppy, they somehow leave you wanting more. Poppies is the winner of the Pebble Trust Young People’s Bursary and is on its way to the Brighton Fringe for a run starting on 23 May.
