28 March – 30 May

Few children’s writers can claim to be as influential as Sir Michael Morpurgo. Since his first book was published in 1974, he has written over 150 titles, serving as Children’s Laureate from 2003-2005 and as President of the Book Trust to the present day. His books, many of which are mainstays of primary and secondary school curricula, have sold over 35 million copies worldwide and been translated into over forty languages. Little wonder then that so many of his acclaimed works have transitioned so successfully from page to stage.

So many of Morpurgo’s stories are grounded in fact, inspired by real-life events but with fictional characters. However, In the Mouth of the Wolf is one of his most personal and autobiographical books, telling as it does the true story of his two uncles, narrated against the backdrop of World War Two. It is the Barn Theatre’s fifth Morpurgo collaboration since their opening in 2018, coincidentally the same year in which Morpurgo received his knighthood and in which this story was originally published. The result is a poignant and affecting tale of two brothers with differing attitudes and responses to the outbreak of war.

Adapted by long-term Morpurgo devotee Simon Reade and directed by Philip Wilson, the story opens on a simple stage. A pair of sliding doors, clever lighting and a smoke machine, together with some simple, versatile props, are all that is needed to present over thirty scenes from the lives of Francis (John Hastings) and Pieter Cammaerts (Shaun McCourt). The former is a dedicated pacifist, abhorred by the rise of fascism and the Nazi Party; the latter believes in a more direct and patriotic approach to conflict, willingly signing up to join the RAF. Herein lies the story’s central premise – its opposing ideologies around war.

Structurally, this retrospective tale begins in “This Is Your Life” style, as an older Francis reflects on his life before, during and after the war, and as the fate of his younger brother drastically reshapes his own future. After a slow start to the show, Hastings gradually breathes more life into the protagonist as the drama builds, capturing Francis’ moral dilemmas and successfully exploring his multiple and conflicting duties as a husband, father, brother and citizen.  McCourt gives an equally strong performance as Pieter, but also fulfils a number of other roles, as does Helena Antoniou, the third and final member of the cast. Some impressive multi-rolling brings forty different characters to life with some slick costume changes and plenty of guidance from accent and dialect coaches Zoe Littleton and Jan Haydn Rowles.

In the Mouth of the Wolf preaches an engaging and necessary lesson about the importance of family and our varying attitudes to conflict. Two weeks ago, Group Captain John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway, the last surviving pilot of the Battle of Britain, passed away. And whilst this is a story ostensibly about the Second World War, its relevance today is keenly felt. As Sir Michael himself puts it “This is essentially a story about families and how these events affected them during a time of war. There is a relevance about the story because of what’s happening today…in Europe and in Gaza.” Anything which makes us contemplate the horrific and ongoing atrocities of war in 2025, and also how we respond to these conflicts as both individuals and societies, is only to be welcomed.

★★★★☆    Tony Clarke  2 April 2025

Photography credit: Alex Tabrizi