A
Soldier’s
Song comes to the Cramphorn
Commemorating
the
30th
anniversary
of
the
Falklands
War
and
one
of
the
hits
of
the
2012
Edinbrugh
Festival,
A
Soldier's
Song
is
a
true
story
of
conflict
told
by
a
guy
who
was
there,
bringing
the
battlefield
to
the
stage
in
an
extraordinary
work
of
theatre.
It
comes
to
Chelmsford
Civic
Theatre
on
Friday
8
March.
The
Falklands Conflict happened 30 years ago. It was dubbed "Britain's
last colonial war". Maggie Thatcher, mired in political turmoil
at home, sent 5000 troops 8000 miles down to the bottom of the world
to reclaim a tiny pair of islands at the southern tip of South
America colonised by less than 1000 British Subjects which had been
'illegally' invaded by Argentina.
The
conflict lasted only two months, but encapsulated everything that war
is; the failed politics, the military build up, the epic voyage, the
beach landings, sinking of ships, artillery strewn battlefields,
grenades and bayonets, the heroism, the horror and the tragedy.
Britain's victory saved Thatcher's premiership and secured
Conservative supremacy for 15 more years, but left hundreds of
soldiers with the deep scars of war, the loss of comrades, and a
lifetime of Post Traumatic Stress. But, the Falklands victory also
epitomized the fortitude of the Great British Tommy, and remains a
potent source of national pride.
Ken
Lukowiak
was
there
-
a
lowly
infantryman
in
2
Para
-
at
the
beach
landings
at
San
Carlos,
the
famous
pitched
battle
at
Goose
Green,
the
death
of
Colonel
H
Jones,
the
sinking
of
the
Galahad
in
Fitzroy,
and
at
the
liberation
of
Port
Stanley.
He
saw
it
all.
A
decade,
suffering
from
post
traumatic
stress,
he
penned
his
memoirs
as
an
act
of
catharsis.
They
were
snapped
up
and
published
in
acclaimed
article
for
the
Guardian
Weekend
Magazine
in
1992
from
which
he
was
commissioned
to
write
his
book
-
A
Soldier's
Song.
It
was
a
best
seller
and
Ken
then
started
a
new
career
as
a
renowned
war
correspondent.
In
1998, Guy Masterson adapted the book for the stage and toured the
show globally over three years to widespread acclaim. Now, 12 years
on, commemorating the 30th anniversary, Lukowiak himself will now
take on the role of his life and tell his own story' and say it like
it was.
This
is the theatre of War in its facets, invoking the horror, terror,
shame, black humour, futility and tedium of a soldier's life on the
front line and the lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress. Deeply
disturbing and frightening at times, it utilises a pounding, totally
authentic multi-directional soundscape. It is also extremely funny,
the dark "squaddie" humour offsetting the darkness. The
brutal demotic language and reality of the battlefield is brought to
vividly to life.
An
ex-Paratrooper
stands
in
a
spotlight
and
transports
the
audience
back
to
the
Falklands
War.
Surrounded
by
pounding
sound
effects
(using
authentic
ordnance)
from
four
sources
all
around
the
theatre,
the
audience
are
in
the
middle
of
the
action.
Ken
Lukowiak
leads
us
from
the
landing,
through
the
pitched
artillery
battles,
surviving
friendly
fire,
rescuing
enemy
soldiers,
freezing
to
death
in
ice
filled
trenches
to
the
raising
of
the
Union
Jack
in
Port
Stanley.
Incredibly
powerful
language,
often
poetic
and
heightened,
spoken
by
the
very
soldier
that
wrote
the
words.
The
issues
of
war
and
what
it
is
like
to
be
there
are
brought
to
the
fore.
This
piece
of
heart-felt
theatre
also
touches
on
the
politics
of
war,
death,
dealing
with
fear
and
terror.
There
will
be
a
post
show
discussion
with
Ken
Lukowiak
after
the
production
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