Sebastian Faulks has argued that turning a novel into a film or play is like turning a painting into a sculpture, as it is so often done badly. Unlike films or theatre, reading allows us to get carried away with our imagination. Pictures are formed of places and people. Therefore, when such a prolific read is adapted for stage or screen we are instantly shown something that is not what we uniquely imagined, and we are consequently disappointed before any action even begins. I was eager to see if this was the case when I went to watch Rachael Wagstaff's adaptation of Birdsong, Faulks' most famous work, at the Comedy Theatre. In 2003 the BBC conducted a 'Big Read' survey to find Britain's most popular novel; Birdsong was voted 13th so you can imagine why I watched with high expectations.
In the first act, which is set in the years leading up to WW1, Englishman Stephen Wraysford (played by the fantastic Ben Barnes from the Chronicles of Narnia films)is asked by his boss to stay with a factory owner and his family in Amiens, of Northern France. The wife of the factory owner, Isabelle, (played by Genevieve O'Reilly who I recognised from the BBC drama Spooks) is in an unhappy marriage; she is forced to endure daily beatings from her husband, something which Stephen is aware goes on. It is a combination of her beauty and the fact she needs help that causes him to fall in love with her. When he admits this to her, she reciprocates and the two embark on a love affair set against the backdrop of the French village during the summer months, although the chemistry between the two was somewhat lacking in areas.
However, the dreamy quality of Act One is shortlived, as, in Acts Two and Three, we are suddenly hauled into the horror of WW1. John Napier's brilliant set design brought to life the unimaginable misery of life inside and outside the trenches. The Comedy Theatre was a superb venue for the play with its low ceilings and narrow auditorium; as it seemed as if we too were being suffocated inside the trenches with the men.
It was these final two acts in which the acting really excelled. Lee Ross was superb as Jack Firebrace, an army Private who rescues an injured Stephen from the battlefield. Jack is the good-hearted man that entertains the troops despite the hell that surrounds them. Ross moved between playing the fool and the sensitive family man, which he again did brilliantly; there was barely a dry eye in the house when he received news that his son back at home has died from diptheria.
In the novel itself the story is propelled by Stephen's grand-daughter seeking the truth about what happened to her family during the war. Wagstaff has chosen to leave this part out, probably because it would be far too long with this added in. I imagine many will be disappointed that this part of the novel was not included, however despite this, I thought it worked; the play still captured the true horrors of war and the passion that comes alongside a love affair that are strong themes throughout Faulks' novel. Laughter and tears, this play did not fail to disappoint and the projected list of the fallen from the Battle of the Somme altogether made it even more heartfelt, particularly when I saw several names of men that had the same surname as me. This is a must-see, but remember to take your tissues...
Birdsong runs until 15 January 2010 at the Comedy Theatre, Panton Street, SW1Y 4DN.
Written by Sebastian Faulks
Adapted by Rachael Wagstaff
Directed by Trevor Nunn
Starring Ben Barnes and Genevieve O'Reilly
Design by John Napier
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