War

Cast in Order of Appearance

Joe Wood -Mike Venner
The Director -Wendela Rosenberg Polak
The Props Person - Veronique Gerber
Annie Love -Trish Hendrix
Myra -Danielle Rosenberg Polak
Frank Mann -Ben Farr
Neil -Niall O' Higgins
The Boy - Greg O' Sullivan Jnr.

Directed by Wendela Rosenberg Polak and Malcolm George
Set and Costume Design -Veronique Gerber
Stage Manager -Veronique Gerber
Stage and Set construction -Greg O’Sullivan
Production Assistant -Niall O’Higgins
Lighting and Sound Design -Malcolm George, Laura Meiland
Set Painters -Danielle Rosenberg Polak, Kathrin Marx
Arabic Coach -Mona Faloughi
Publicity and Images -Chris May

Ben Farr as Mann, Dianielle Rosenberg Polak as Myra, Trish Hendrix as Love

Mike Venner's latest drama tackles a theme that is topical. Personal and universal - how can we deal with war outside if we cannot deal with the war inside?

War correspondent Joe Wood is under fire in an unknown war zone. His cameraman -and old school friend- Spooner, lies dead at his feet, and outside the battle is nearing its climax. His final despatch becomes an account of the war inside himself, triggered by guilt and remorse for an act of betrayal that goes back to their schooldays.

In an anonymous room, a man and a woman interrogate Spooner's Iraqi-born wife, Myra, about the disappearance of her son, Sammy. Is he a terrorist? Is she? Myra is not intimidated by the man's attempts at sexual humiliation. 'If you treat me like a terrorist I may become one.' This is hand to hand combat between man and woman, with words as weapons. She turns the tables on him and he gives away a lot more about himself than he intended. When the horrible truth about Sammy is revealed Myra cracks. War has smashed her defences.

The first scene of the play shows the actors preparing to act it. The play has seeded conflicts - they themselves are at war. In the final scene the actors struggle to raise themselves out of the pit that the play has dug for them, with tragic results.

Naill O' Higgins as Neil, Greg O'Sullivan as The Boy, Mike Venner as Joe Wood, Trish Hendrix as Love, D.Rosenberg Polak as Myra, Ben Farr as Mann, W. Rosendberg Polak as The Director