What's On
Gala performance at:
The Convent Ballroom |
Friday 6th November 2009 at 7.30pm
and at:
Rooke O cers’ Mess, Queensway |
Saturday 7th November 2009 at 7.30pm
Tickets £15 from:
Sacarello’s coffee bar, Irish Town
Imperial Newsagents, Main Street (opposite the Convent)
BFBS Radio, Rooke, Queensway
in aid of Help for Heroes - www.helpforheroes.org.uk
This play looks at friendship, love, courage, and poetic genius in the face of battle. In turn funny, touching and tragic, Siegfried
Sassoon re-lives moments from the summer of 1917 when he first met Wilfred Owen in Craiglockhart War Hospital
where Owen had been sent suffering from shell-shock. Sassoon, already a famous poet and war hero, had published a public
protest exposing every sham ideal used to justify the war and had been committed to the hospital on grounds of mental
impairment in an attempt to silence his anti-war sentiments.
At first, Owen was in awe of the brusque and stand-offish Sassoon, but they soon form a strong bond and with Sassoon’s
help and friendship, Owen becomes arguably the best of the Great War poets.
Why this play?
The Director writes: I read of a soldier who had lost both legs and an arm in Afghanistan and was helped by the charity HELP FOR HEROES to walk down the aisle unaided at his wedding last month. Moved by his story, and prompted by the death of
Harry Patch, the last of the Great War Veterans, and also the sadly increasing number of injuries to our soldiers in Afghanistan,
I immediately thought of NOT ABOUT HEROES for ROCK THEATRE’s first production in Gibraltar, especially with its strong
military attachment. NOT ABOUT HEROES is set during the last months of the First World War and celebrates the friendship
of the Great War Poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. Owen was killed exactly one week before the Armistice, so to
perform this play over the Remembrance Sunday weekend greatly underlines its poignancy and linking NOT ABOUT HEROES
with HELP FOR HEROES provides a powerful backdrop to raising funds for this excellent charity.
The Actors:
DOMINIC BREWER – Wilfred Owen
Dominic was born in Bristol and trained at Webber Douglas. His theatre credits include Splinters in Aaron Copland’s “The Tender Land” (Arcola Theatre for the Grimeborn Festival); The Baker in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); Harold in “Harold & Maude” (TNT Theatre, European tour); the title role in “Hamlet” and Sir Andrew Aguecheek in “Twelfth Night” for the Cambridge Shakespeare Company; the disciple Andrew in Dennis Potter’s “Son of Man” (Canal Café Theatre); Young Buddy in “Follies” (Landor Theatre); Earl in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Whistle Down the Wind” (Palace Theatre, and first national tour); Richard Rich in “A Man For All Seasons”, Dick Johnson in “Treasure Island” and Justin West in “Dolly West’s Kitchen” (all Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Jem Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” (New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme); Augenti in “Passion” and The Young Thing in the European premiere of Michael John LaChiusa’s “Hello Again” (both Bridewell Theatre) and five productions at the Edinburgh festival including playing Nicky Lancaster in Noel Coward’s “The Vortex”.
Dominic also recently made his professional directorial debut on Phil Bowen’s “Anything But Love” which performed at several major UK arts festivals and at the New End Theatre, Hampstead.
MATTHEW FLEXMAN – Siegfried Sassoon
Matthew has been acting professionally since 1994 and lives in Hampton, Middlesex. Recent roles include Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing”, Claudius in “Hamlet”, the title role in “Titus Andronicus”, Anton Schill in “The Visit”, Peter in “Blue Remembered Hills”, Felix Humble in “Humble Boy” and Voice 1 in Harold Pinter’s “Family Voices” (nominated for a RUTAC award as best actor).
For Tremor Cordis (Edinburgh, Minack Theatre Cornwall and tour); the title role in “Richard III”, Benedick in “Much Ado About Nothing”, Sir Toby Belch in “Twelfth Night” and Jack Worthing in “The Importance Of Being Earnest”.
For CV theatre: Mr Rochester in “Jane Eyre”, and a season of weekly rep in Devon. Film includes “Tales of The City” and commercials.
Matthew previously played Siegfried Sassoon in 1998 and it is a favourite role.
Coming soon: THE COLLECTION by Harold Pinter.
A ‘phone rings at four o’clock in the morning and a man’s voice asks for Bill. Who is Bill – and who wants him?
Coming later: ENDGAME by Samuel Beckett.
Clov can’t sit down, Hamm can’t stand up and his parents live in dustbins at the end of the world. Samuel Beckett bizarre? Of course. But funny? Oh yes!