Counter Culture

Venue 9; The Space till 27 August 

Few plays can boast 21 different characters played by just four actors, that’s exactly what Swanwing Productions have accomplished this difficult task using just a few items of costume and some basic props; a staff, three pairs of scissors, a longbow, and a framed picture of Princess Diana.

This thoughtful play, introduced by Old Father Time, runs through conflicts in history from the Battle of Hastings in 1066 through to the present day.

Battle has its humorous moments; who realised that our history is full of disputes between Harrys and Williams, for example? There are also deeply poignant moments. In one scene that moved this reviewer to tears, Bruce, a dying soldier shown crying for his mother, thought that a woman who had come to strip the dead and wounded for any valuables was an angel because she gave him a sip of water.

Reviewed by David Kerr