Birdsong: A beautifully dark and moving story well told

Birdsong is currently in the middle of its run at Salisbury Playhouse and delivers all the emotions you'd expect from a love story set in and around the First World War.

There are scenes of passion and grit of different varieties, moments with real delicacy, and others that hit you like a sledgehammer. Expect to be taken on a rollercoaster ride that humanises and brings to life some of the horrors of the Battle of the Somme and other moments in the deadliest conflicts ever. 

The play begins by centring on a love affair between a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford (James Esler), and a married French woman, Isabelle Azaire (Charlie Russell). It's a passionate and dangerous relationship that builds as the first act continues, touching on domestic abuse and misogyny while also showcasing their physical and sincere love for each other. 

The second act introduces new characters: a team of 'Sewer Rats' working on some of the tunnels dug beneath the soil of the battlefields of the Somme. Led by Jack Firebrace (Max Bowden), the team of Sappers is shown to be a genuine band of brothers, made up of sewer men, miners and other tunnelling workers. We are told that Firebrace came directly from digging the Circle Line in London.

In many ways, this is our second love story. The relationship between the dishevelled men, especially between Firebrance and his best mate Arthur Shaw, wonderfully portrays the bond between those fighting and their care for each other, even if sometimes shown with dark humour and raucous banter. It shows the honour and respect that these humans showed in the most dehumanising of circumstances. 

The final act depicts the final moments of the war and the destruction that is left - both physical and emotional. Some lovely moments in this final act were allowed to hang above the audience like a dark cloud as the minimal but cleverly lit set, sound, and performance punched you in the gut when it needed to but also lifted you at other moments. 

The play has compelling moments and superb performances that make you care for the characters. In his professional stage debut, James Esler brings strength and vulnerability to a character in the middle of the war, showing compassion for his men and delivering emotion in spades. Alongside Max Bowden, they offered a performance that made you feel alone with them in the moment, trapped in a tunnel, fearing for their lives. 

The haunting singing of James Findlay beautifully complements and adds to sombre, intelligent, and well-constructed moments of horrific loss and destruction. You could hear a pin drop as the emotions washed over the audience. 

Charlie Russell's performance as Isabelle is powerful and full of emotion. You see her fight against social pressure, her allegiance to a misogynistic and abusive husband, Rene, and her attraction to Wraysford. She brings light and darkness to the role and makes you care deeply about the character. 

At three hours and five minutes, including two intervals, this epic play will bring a tear to the eye and a newfound respect for those real men and women who endured the horrors of the First World War. Expect some nudity and scenes of a sexual nature and a depiction of the death and destruction of the war. 

Birdsong continues at Salisbury Playhouse until Saturday 14th, September. Tickets are still available via the Wiltshire Creative website - https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/events/birdsong