Sergeant Lafarge :

A veteran from the French Foreign Legion who enlisted in the French Army in 1914, Sergeant Lafarge has an outgoing, candid disposition. “Dropped like a bomb” into the producer's role by his superiors, he is trying his best to carry out his duty and set up Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet” within the Army Theatre. Endowed with a sturdy character, he is, all the same, genuinely humane and full of respect for his men, including those from the “African Army”.

 

Corporal Maubert :

Corporal Maubert is the sole survivor of a combat unit decimated by a series of bombings. Although he made a miraculous escape, his trauma manifests itself surreptitiously in shakes, sporadic at first but increasing in frequency. He takes part in rehearsals for the Bard's famous play with his comrades, but his heart is not in it. He is a little sardonic, sometimes flippant, but he actually shows a keen sense of observation and a certain wisdom.

 

Private Abdelhadi Djemoune :

A colonial infantryman from Algeria, Abdelhadi has a keen intellect and is unusually cultured. While dreaming of becoming a teacher upon his return home, he also hopes to improve the understanding between the French and his fellow countrymen. A real bookworm, he is perceived to be a genuine intellectual by his puzzled comrades. Rather shy, he is nevertheless liable to deliver comments as sharp as a “Mauser” each time he intervenes.

 

Mactar Macodou :

A generous and pure-hearted Senegalese “marcher”, Mactar Mocodou is Sergeant Lafarge's darling. Beyond his apparent naivety, the revelation of his straightforward character is disconcerting. Devoted and committed to the French motherland, he ends up being promoted for his exemplary service record. He relishes the part assigned to him in the forthcoming play. A cheerful soul, always prepared to help out, he is extremely accommodating and proves very popular with the troupe.

 

Julie :

A singer with an undeniable charm, Julie is a young woman from the streets of Paris. While she is touring the front line, she is hired by Major Lafiole to undertake the role of Juliet in the Shakespeare play. But while the officer openly flirts with the cheeky young lady, one of his soldiers is luckier in love and wins her over.

 

Nurse Éléonore:

Nurse Éléonore is an extremely gentle woman. Showing true compassion in the face of the soldiers' suffering, she is skilled at comforting them, while also running small errands for Sergeant Lafarge's team. The Sergeant appears to be susceptible to her charm, and tries to get closer to the young lady. Éléonore keeps a watchful eye on front line soldiers' depressive behaviours, and is particularly interested in “shell shock” symptoms, described in Dr Myers' thesis on the increasingly serious traumatic states witnessed among the men in the front line. Kind-hearted woman.

 

Yaouen Le Quéménec:

This RAC (field artillery) gunner from Brittany has a distrustful temperament and is rather reluctant to take part in the staging of the play. A prejudiced character, he clashes unsurprisingly with Abdelhadi Djemoune: they seem to be worlds apart. The show's finale will prove us otherwise: “Shit is an excellent mortar for building friendships!” His words and deeds can be violent, but he is passionate about anything mechanical, and takes pride in sharing his knowledge on the subject.

 

Private Nguyen:

Hailing from Tonkin, and assigned to the Army Supply department, Ngyen is a perfect example of the oppressed workforce found in their thousands in the French Army during World War 1. He takes on the role of cook for the troupe, as well as being one of the actors in the Shakespeare play. Although not very talkative, he never forgets where he came from and does not hesitate to reveal details about his past when the opportunity arises. A discreet man, he is uncomfortable with all the hurly-burly he has to endure due to the staging of the play, and is finding it hard to fit in.

 

Private Favier:

A musician from the regiment's military band. Although he has seen action, he is nostalgic about the 1914-15 regiments who went to battle with their marching band ahead. His experience as a “popular dance” musician makes him valuable as he helps illustrate the various acts with suitable tunes during the play's rehearsals. He tends to be a good-natured and helpful individual.

Private Grapouille:

A drummer with the 3rd Line Regiment, Private Grapouille is blessed with a good-natured disposition which makes him a genial member of the Army Theatre. A good musician, he knows his stuff when it comes to providing the rhythm for the various scenes' high points. He steps up a gear when he has the opportunity to step into the part of Romeo.

 

Lieutenant Otto Von Herckmann:

Prussian “junker”, he is a pilot whose plane went down behind the French lines. As a prisoner of war, he is assigned the difficult task of assistant producer as well as being the show's accompanist on the piano. A true German aristocrat, he takes pride in carrying out this task to the best of his abilities. He also turns out to be a clear-thinking individual.

 

Private Alberti:

Born in Italy, he came to Paris with the first wave of immigration from his home country. He joins the team as the show's Romeo, and falls in love for real with “Juliet” AKA Julie. A keen guitar player, he creates his own makeshift instrument from a metal container he finds lying around. Occasionally clumsy, he is the first one to admit his faults and seek reconciliation when things come to a head. He is nevertheless a “big mouth”.

 

Private Augustin:

A sapper with a background in carpentry, he offers his skills to Sergeant Lafarge's project. He strives to build the play's set for our soldiers/actors, using the odds and ends he is given for that purpose. He is a decent lad who, although he is not endowed with an excessive intellect, adopts a pragmatic approach.

 

Major Lafiole:

An officer who enlisted “late in the day”, he is suspected to have been a “draft-dodger”. Major Lafiole takes advantage of his position to try and seduce Julie, whom he recruited especially for the play he hopes to see staged by the Army theatre. He doesn't get what he wants as Julie chooses Private Alberti over the Major.