Review by Pearl Esfahani

Les Enfant Terribles’ The Trench follows the story of Bert, an older man wanting to serve his country during WWI, and is assigned the task of digging for explosives under No Mans Land. Fans of guitar-led singer-songwriters will enjoy Wolfe’s original soundtrack, and songs interjected throughout. Entirely in verse, it’s not until our protagonist finds his voice that the story really comes into its own.

 

Lansley marries vocal and physical with muscularity.  Of course, the visual storytelling is where the company excel. From simple sequences concisely showing the development of friendship to the many uses of a plank of wood, and projections. Using these tools to change the audience’s perspective of what we’re seeing is particularly satisfying. A slick ensemble takes us into a magical world beneath the trenches as we meet various puppet creatures not of this world, along Bert’s quest to find his way to the light. It’s quite a feat to tie in so many different techniques in one show, and it isn’t always perfectly cohesive, nevertheless, it is ultimately a tale of the cycles of life and death with some stunning moments worth waiting for.

 

The Trench is on until 17 November https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show/the-trench/

Creative Team

Directors

James Seager

Oliver Lansley

Writer

Oliver Lansley

Original Soundtrack

Alexander Wolfe

Designer

Samuel Wyer

Associate Designer

Alice Cox

Sound Designer

Liam McDermott

Associate Lighting Designer

Tim Kelly

Cast

Edward Cartwright

James Hastings

Kadell Herida

Oliver Lansley

Alexander Wolfe