15 Jun 2024
Eighty years on from the D-Day landings, Company of Ten commemorate this extraordinary event with a play by David Haig. Deborah Heath finds out more about the role the weather played in the Allied invasion…
The action of ‘Pressure’ centres on the command room where two meteorologists; one British, one American, battle with conflicting predictions about the suitability of the weather for the Allied invasion.
Therefore, the title has double significance as the story develops, reflecting the shifts in air pressure and the frisson between the two opinions and nationalities. As a script it is a recipe for success with this inbuilt tension, a wider familiar historical story but showing the smaller behind the scenes moments that made the whole military operation possible.
Company of Ten are well known for their exquisite set design and realisation. Now, while the intricate spectacle of the ‘Parfumerie’ stage would be out of place in this utilitarian control
room, Dennis O’Connell Baker’s design shows that there can be real beauty in simplicity.
Everything from the shades of cream and green paint, to the well sourced furniture and props instantly transported us to the 1940s. The skilfully copied versions of the original A1 weather maps were breathtaking.
I also applaud the appearance and function of the balcony doors which combined the excellent sound and lighting design throughout ensured that the audience were always up the speed with the changing weather. Costumes too (Elizabeth Pratt) were very well-researched. This is a fabulous example of a design and technical team working well together to create impact for the audience.
Director Angela Stone, who was a young child during WWII, was an excellent choice for this show. You can really feel her passion for the story coming through and no doubt her memories of the period contributed to the overall authenticity. However, what is also clear is how hard she must have worked with her actors on character realisation. Marlon Gill as central character Dr James Stagg, Scottish meteorologist, had a hard job, playing a prickly and direct person but did so superbly, balancing this with his compassionate nature as a family man. His performance was compelling throughout.
So too was that of Amy Wedgwood as Lieutenant Kay Summersby whose Irish accent was consistently brilliant. Russell Vincent’s stage power as General Eisenhower was a pleasure to watch.
Some of the accents were more reliable than others but despite this, every single cast member shines in this play because they are utterly believable and I only wish I had space to praise everyone individually.
Sibelle Askew and Joshua Levy who had very little to say commanded their roles with precision. A personal favourite moment for me was Roy Bookman’s cameo as the chatty electrician where his comic naturalism shone.
You don’t need to have an interest in WWII to enjoy this play (although I do and did) because it is a show about nature; human and environmental.
“There is nothing predicable about the British weather; that’s why we like to talk about it!”
However, you will come away from ‘Pressure’ knowing more than when you went in. This was an inspired programming choice from Company of Ten and a genuinely exciting piece of theatre. I thoroughly recommend catching the last week of its run.
