Finborough Theatre

The first revival for seventy years of the First World War drama that uniquely tells the story from the point of view of the men, not the officers.

The First World War inspired some of the most heartbreaking poetry of the last century, and still grips the imagination of successive generations of writers. But the plays of the period have almost all disappeared. Two’s Company’s Forgotten Voices from the Great War project brings back to life plays about the War written during or soon after the war, from first hand experience. The first two Forgotten Voices seasons were programmes of short plays – both won critical acclaim and played to packed houses. Red Night isa full length-play and the culmination of the series.

The classic Journey’s End shows men under the pressure of battle and trench life. Red Night is a story of soldiers, too, but this time, not officers but the privates and other ranks – men who left their homes to face appalling hardship and the everyday danger of death on the Western Front, but who were not able to deaden their pain with bottles of whisky. And yet, under fire or snatching brief moments of relaxation, the phlegmatic humour of men getting through it all breaks through.

Playwright James Lansdale Hodson (1891-1956) was a Manchester born novelist and playwright. For a time, he was northern editor of The Daily Mail. He wrote many plays for radio through the 1930s to 1950’s. His novel Return to the Wood was adapted for the stage by John Wilson as Hamp, and in turn filmed by Joseph Losey as King and Country. Red Night has not been seen since Robert Donat’s West End production with John Mills in 1936.

THE PRESS ON RED NIGHT
TIME OUT CRITICS' CHOICE
**** FOUR STARS WHAT’S ON IN LONDON

“ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR THE FINBOROUGH”
JOHN THAXTER, WHAT’S ON IN LONDON

“A TERRIFIC REDISCOVERY OF A PIECE UNSEEN FOR 70 YEARS…A PRIVATE’S EYE VIEW OF THE TRENCHES IN CONTRAST TO THE OFFICER-DOMINATED DUGOUT OF JOURNEY’S END.”
TIMOTHY RAMSDEN, REVIEWSGATE

“PRESENTED BY TWO'S COMPANY AT THE FINBOROUGH THEATRE - WHICH IS CURRENTLY CELEBRATING ITS SILVER JUBILEE YEAR WITH SOME QUITE EXTRAORDINARY PLAYS SUCH AS THIS ONE.”
JULIA HICKMAN, THEATREWORLD INTERNET MAGAZINE

“THIS HAUNTING, DELICATE AND TENDER PLAY”
ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

“I DEFY ANYONE NOT TO BE MOVED”
JULIA HICKMAN, THEATREWORLD INTERNET MAGAZINE

“WRITTEN IN 1936, JAMES LANSDALE HODSON'S RED NIGHT HAS INEVITABLY BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY JOURNEY'S END. BUT REVIVED NOW… IT SEEMS NO LESS MOVING THAN SHERRIFF'S PLAY IN ITS HELLISH VISION OF TRENCH WARFARE AND THE HORRORS SUFFERED BY THE ORDINARY, COMMON INFANTRYMAN.” MICHAEL BILLINGTON, THE GUARDIAN

“TRICIA THORNS’ STRONGLY CAST REVIVAL IS NO MERE TRIBUTE. INSTEAD SHE REVEALS A RIVETING DRAMA IN ITS OWN RIGHT, LEAVENED BY PHLEGMATIC HUMOUR AND IRONIC SONGS”
JOHN THAXTER, WHAT’S ON IN LONDON

“IT IS ALSO ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR THE FINBOROUGH, RECENTLY A SETTING FOR THE LARKRISE PROMENADE PRODUCTION, NOW VIVIDLY RECREATING A SANDBAGGED SECTION OF THE FRONT LINE AT CAMBRIN, A LIVELY ESTAMINET WHERE OFF-DUTY TROOPS QUAFF VIN ROUGE AND DANCE WITH THE WOMEN, AND INCREASINGLY DESOLATE DEFENSIVE POSITIONS ON THE SOMME, COMPLETE WITH CONVINCING BATTLE EFFECTS.”
JOHN THAXTER, WHAT’S ON IN LONDON

“LEO CONVILLE’S LIVELY PERFORMANCE EPITOMISES THE COCKNEY PRIVATE.” JOHN THAXTER, WHAT’S ON IN LONDON

“IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES ALSO COME FROM PHIL SEALEY AS THE TENOR-VOICED CORPORAL, STUART NICOLL AS A DROLL SCOT AND SIMON MCCOY AS A BUOYANT FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOLBOY.”
JOHN THAXTER, WHAT’S ON IN LONDON

“A MEMORABLE EVENING OF THEATRE”
JOHN THAXTER, WHAT’S ON IN LONDON

“ HODSON MAY HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY SHERRIFF… BUT RED NIGHT HAS ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE HUMANITY AND HAUNTINGLY EVOKES A WORLD IN WHICH EVERY DAREDEVIL RAID LED TO "ONE MILITARY CROSS AND 10 WOODEN ONES." MICHAEL BILLINGTON, THE GUARDIAN

“BRAVELY REDISCOVERED…BY DIRECTOR TRICIA THORNS”
ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

“PROFOUNDLY AFFECTING” JULIA HICKMAN, THEATREWORLD INTERNET MAGAZINE

“TRICIA THORNS' BEAUTIFUL PRODUCTION SUBTLY EKES OUT MOMENTS OF GENUINE, HEARTFELT HONESTY ONE MINUTE AND EUPHORIC COMRADESHIP THE NEXT.” ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

“THIS TEMPESTUOUS AND COMPELLING PRODUCTION”
JULIA HICKMAN, THEATREWORLD INTERNET MAGAZINE

“HOW BETTER TO RECREATE THE CLAUSTROPHOBIA OF THE TRENCHES THAN BY STAGING WORLD WAR I IN A FRINGE THEATRE?...DESIGNER ALEX MARKER HAS PERFORMED IMPRESSIVE FEATS” BRIAN LOGAN, TIME OUT

“A REVIEW OF THIS SHOW WHICH DID NOT MENTION THE INGENIOUS AND IMAGINATIVE DESIGN BY ALEX MARKER WOULD BE INCOMPLETE AND INDEED A TRAVESTY. MARKER'S SET EVOKES ALL THE BRUTALITY AND DANGER OF THE TRENCHES WHILE OPENING AND CLOSING LIKE A DELICATE BUT DIRTY CHOCOLATE BOX.” ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

“ALEX WATSON'S SUBTLE AND BEAUTIFUL LIGHTING”
ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

“THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL - BOTH SET AND COSTUME - IS HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE” DEREK SMITH, THE STAGE

“THORNS'S PRODUCTION MANOEUVRES A CAST OF 10 WITH GREAT SKILL AROUND THE TINY FINBOROUGH STAGE” MICHAEL BILLINGTON, THE GUARDIAN

“DIRECTOR TRICIA THORNS MARSHALS HER TROOPS WELL FOR THIS ADEPT REITERATION OF THE HORRORS OF WAR.” BRIAN LOGAN, TIME OUT

“THERE ARE FINE PERFORMANCES FROM JONATHAN WARDE AS THE BITTER JOURNALIST-HERO (ORIGINALLY PLAYED BY JOHN MILLS), SIMON MCCOY AS HIS SUDDENLY PROMOTED SOULMATE, LEO CONVILLE AS A CHIPPER COCKNEY AND STUART NICOLL AS A BELLICOSE SCOT.” MICHAEL BILLINGTON, THE GUARDIAN

“THE STAR TURN IS LEO CONVILLE AS THE CHEEKY CHAPPIE SYD SUMMERS” BRIAN LOGAN, TIME OUT

“LEO CONVILLE IS A HILARIOUS REVELATION” ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

PHIL SEALEY…”DEEPLY MOVING” MICHAEL BILLINGTON, THE GUARDIAN

“PHIL SEALEY’S FINE-SINGING CORPORAL “ TIMOTHY RAMSDEN, REVIEWSGATE

“THE ACTING IS IMPECCABLE” ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

“THE CAST, SUITABLY YOUTHFUL - PLAY WITH CONVICTION IN TRICIA THORNS’ PRODUCTION” TIMOTHY RAMSDEN, REVIEWSGATE

“THE CAST’S INFECTIOUS ENTHUSIASM AND VIGOUR LIGHTS UP THE STAGE LIKE A FLARE OVER NO-MANS LAND.” DEREK SMITH, THE STAGE

“THE FINBOROUGH IS CELEBRATING ITS SILVER JUBILEE AND THIS TINY BUT EFFECTIVE THEATRE IS QUITE RIGHTLY PROUD OF ITSELF…NOW HIGH PROFILE PERFORMERS AND COMPANIES ARE FINALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS INTIMATE AND SAFE SPACE AND CHAMPIONING ITS AMBITION TO REDISCOVER OLD PLAYS AS WELL AS PREMIERE NEW ONES, RESULTING IN A NEW ENERGY THAT IS BREATHING OVER THE LIVELY BUILDING: FROM THE SWANKY, SEXY BAR BELOW IT TO THE PRODUCTIONS NOW GRACING ITS WELCOMING FLOORBOARDS…. THE FINBOROUGH COULD WELL TOAST ITS SILVER ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE WITH THE MERITS OF THIS PRODUCTION. TRUE TO ITS MISSION STATEMENT, THE FINBOROUGH IS ALLOWING LONDON TO SEE THIS 'UNFAIRLY NEGLECTED' PLAY AND BRING IT OUT OF ITS MYSTERIOUS RETIREMENT.” ADAM TAYLOR, ROGUES AND VAGABONDS