Cheltenham based Peter Gill is a very talented and busy man with a wardrobe full of different hats. He does one-man-shows of Noel Coward and Tom Lehrer, has his own jazz combo, is MD for Anita Harris, has written several books, is Jerry Lee Lewis in a rock ‘n’ roll travelling show, runs a theatrical agency and lots more besides. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he had a paper round in the mornings. He also writes plays and, it turns out, is a very decent actor.
His Talbot House is about the creation on Toc H during the First World War and his new play, Meet Tommy Atkins, also a WW1 play, is at the Everyman Studio this week. It is basically a story, told directly to the audience by the character, cheerful Cockney chappy and old soldier, Tommy Atkins.
The story starts on the final day of the First World War and then, in leaps of approximately ten years, takes us into the late fifties. The tale encompasses all the trials and tribulations facing ex-soldiers in a land fit for heroes – the difficulty in finding gainful employment, adjusting to civilian life and so on, all issues we are familiar with today. But also the good, positive things like the creation of the Welfare State after WW2.
Our generation must consider itself very lucky for not having had to face a world war or conflict that affected our everyday lives. Yes, we had the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan, but life at home has gone on as normal. For Tommy and his generation war was all-pervasive, it affected every aspect of their lives and continued to do so right up until their deaths. Tommy was already approaching middle-age at the beginning of the story and had already fought in the Boer War. His son also fought on the Western Front but was killed.
For all of us, it is the period between the ages of say 18 to 25 that forms the basis, the foundation of our lives; it sets out markers by which many other events are measured and compared. So, if you spent those formative years shooting and being shot at you are going to have a particular view of life. You will have seen the very worst of mankind and its frequent companion, the very best – aspects which very few of us are ever unfortunate/fortunate enough to see.
Mr Gill’s story was compelling, moving, insightful and believable. It was delivered in a homely, fire-side manner which drew us all in as though we were sitting on our grand-father’s knee. As we journeyed through the decades we learned of Tommy’s experiences in the trenches, of Christmas 1914 when no-man’s-land became the site for the temporary pause in hostilities and British and German soldiers exchanged gifts, kicked a football around and realised they were basically all the same. We learned of the gassing and the mud and, most touchingly, that Tommy regarded each grave of an unknown soldier, “Known Unto God”, as being that of his son whose body had never been found.
Meet Tommy Atkins was beautifully written and performed by the talented Peter Gill and I really enjoyed it. I think the visual presentation could be improved and that was the only thing that stopped me giving the production 5 stars. I think this play will be around for some time as part of Mr Gill’s ever expanding repertoire and I recommend that you see it. I shall also eagerly anticipate seeing what hat next comes out of the wardrobe. ★★★★☆ Michael Hasted 22nd October 2015
