Jack Studio Theatre – until 6 October 2018
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
5*****
The City of Benares was hit and sunk by a German U-boat on the 17th September 1940, with an estimated loss of 258 lives. While many modern films use the targeting of the North Atlantic convoys as the driving impulse in the background as we watch intrepid code-breakers and engineers struggle in a race against time to track the German fleet, Nicola McCartney’s play is different – because City of Benares wasn’t just transporting supplies but was carrying 90 evacuee children to the safety of Canada. The tragedy meant the end of the government’s programme sending children overseas, and saw the German captain being charged, but cleared, with war crimes.
Nicola McCartney tells the story of the fateful voyage through the eyes of two teenagers, Bess Walder (Claire Bowman) and Beth Cummings (Lindsey Scott). The play opens with the girls clinging onto an overturned lifeboat, watching as the adults around them give up and let go – “Ping, ping, ping” as each finger releases its grip on their “downside up” boat. The eerie darkness lifts to sepia, sunset tones as the build-up to the sinking is revealed. The characters are straight out 1940s films: with Beth’s working-class Liverpool family keeping jolly and strong in their hardship and Bess’ middle-class family showing the stiff upper lip face of wartime Britain; even so, it is Bess’ mother’s farewell that will bring a tear to your eye. The girls bond on the ship through their love of The Wizard of Oz, and their repeated invocations of comforting lines from the film as their fear grows is a lovely touch. The innocence and wonder of childhood is captured brilliantly, with the girls’ awe at the luxurious surroundings of the ship, and their placing the alien appearance of the Indian stewards (Sinbad the Sailor) in their sheltered storybook existence. The two actors play each other’s families and the various people on board the ship, switching character rapidly and expertly, with Bowman in particular showing great comic chops with some of her characterisations.
Claire Bowman and Lindsey Scott are tremendous as the two girls, delivering McCartney’s brilliantly realised language of childhood with energy and passion. The performances grip you from the start and do justice to the brave survivors. The moments of horror and terror are described almost matter-of-factly through the girls’ eyes, but their loss and shock are portrayed brilliantly by the talented actors.
Under Kate Bannister’s assured direction, the plot unfolds naturally and fluidly, with Tom Kitney’s lighting and Jack Elliot Barton’s sound design producing an almost mystical atmosphere at times. Karl Swinyard’s set is simple but evocative, with the actors reaching under the deck to take props out of suitcases. This design and the convincing performances create the image that the girls are simply playing dress up in their attic at times, before being brought back to the stark reality of the lifeboat with a jolt.
This moving and magical story of survival is another stellar production from the Jack Studio Theatre – grab a ticket while you can.