There are inevitably a lot of pieces on the First World War around at the moment and Second Soprano, arriving just a few days after the hundredth anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, is the latest. Written and composed by a trio of talented ladies it tells the story of a couple of sisters living an untroubled rural life at the outbreak of the War. They feed the chickens, milk the cows and fend off the romantic approaches of their neighbouring country bumpkin. One of the sisters enlists as a nurse and her wannabee suitor takes the King’s shilling to do his bit.
This is a fairly slight piece of theatre, running less than an hour, more of an hors d’oeuvre than a main course, but tasty and no less worthwhile because of that. There were quite a few song to the accompaniment of an accordion and I quite liked the modern touch of using a looping machine to create both farmyard and battlefield soundtracks on the spot, before our very eyes.
Second Soprano was written by Martha Shrimpton and Ellie Routledge and performed by Ms Shrimpton and Olivia Hirst, who also contributed to the text. With the help of cloth caps, steel helmets and army greatcoats the pair deftly portray a number of characters in what was an enjoyable show by two engaging and accomplished performers. ★★★☆☆ Michael Hasted 16th July 2016
