Directed by Lara Macgregor | Written by Gerald Sibleyras | Translated by Tom Stoppard | Featuring Peter Hayden, Geoffrey Heath and Simon O’Connor
The Fortune Theatre does a fantastic job of balancing out the programming for its seasons, making sure there’s something for everyone, and this was no different. Each production seems to contrast and complement the last, their global breadth making you forget that we’re stuck at the bottom of the world. The last production, In The Next Room or the vibrator play, set in 1880s America, was a hard act to follow, and Heroes doesn’t quite manage to hold its own. Set in a French post-WWI military hospital, the all-male cast of three did a great job of keeping the audience engaged throughout. The entire play is set on one outside patio, which was asking for boring, static scenes, but this was deftly avoided. The director, Lara Macgregor, explained that her (successful) strategy was to evoke a hand-painted photograph of the time. However, there were also moments of great energy on the stage. Simple physical humour went down a treat, especially when Gustave simulated a piggyback ride across a river with Philippe on his back: simple but effective.
I found some of the content a little wordy, with some conversations seeming a little irrelevant, while other scenes seemed to have misplaced the comedy. The character Philippe had a habit of passing out halfway through conversations, which had the whole audience laughing, particularly when it was halfway through a sentence. However, we later found out he had shrapnel in his brain, hence why he just switched off from time to time, which made me feel a little sad. The whole play had a strange combination of humour and sadness, and we were set up to laugh at people who were really in quite a sad state of affairs. But perhaps that’s the point; that even in moments of sadness you’ve got to see the funny side of things.
The set was sweet, with beautiful ivy growing up the walls and a rather large stone statue of a dog taking centre stage. The lighting was simple but also enjoyable, giving the flat patio a warm and welcoming touch. A highlight for me was the soundscape of the garden and land outside of the hospital walls. The geese flying overhead were authentic and believable, and transported the audience to a peaceful, idyllic springtime.
O’Connor, Hayden, and Heath’s performances were fantastic. The three of them carried the show beautifully, each all the more lovable for their well-defined characteristics. O’Connor’s ability to hop around the stage at speed was particularly impressive!
Heroes is a good night out. Not my favourite from the Fortune’s season, but still a quality piece, although I think I missed a few references that went over my head due to my own ignorance and age.
Next on the seasons’ list is Calendar Girls, another very different piece for the theatre.
Heroes
