In the "Actors Tragedy" or "Scene of War", the soldiers life on, or rather behind, the front line is tackled in a light-hearted manner: they often found themselves battling with... boredom!
One of the best ways of keeping the men's morale up and providing some temporary relief for their wounded souls was to organise various kinds of entertainment. Army Theatre is the chosen example in our play.

 

Embedding a Shakespeare play within the script provides us with an opportunity to discuss many of the issues prevalent on the front line (“A plague o' both your houses!... which, but their children's end, nought could remove”, states the famous playwright). The chosen Shakespeare play's additional appeal is in the arrival of a feminine presence in this predominantly male environment.

 

This project's writing process was supported by rigorous and exhaustive documentation (see the sources list), and the play's vision is in turns realistic and educational, with a strong philosophical view: that of a unified, although prone to amnesia, humankind.

 

Indeed, although racism might be a constant issue away from the front, the presence of a common enemy has a bonding effect and considerably dilutes any prejudices among the soldiers. Misery and suffering offer common ground for these men who forge friendships and learn to rely on each other in the front line. The German officer, a prisoner of war, who helps develop the play produced by the French soldiers, might be part of a deliberately conciliatory move by the author; however it also echoes real, if isolated, incidents during WW1; an eccentric modern twist it isn't.