QR Theatre Review: Stephen Bradley On Judgement

Sean sat down with Derry actor Stephen Bradley last week to discuss his new one man show Judgement which is being staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from August 19th to August 25th

SH: So Stephen, you’re currently touring your new show Judgement and taking it to the Edinburgh Fringe festival – I know the story is about a group of prisoners of war and what people do in extreme circumstances but can you tell us a bit more about the show?

SB: I came across the play a few years ago, it is an original play from the 1970s based on actual events. The original play was almost three hours long, but I’ve adapted it down to about 55 minutes to an hour. We’ve lost a good chunk of it but we’ve brought it down to the bare facts and I think that is where the strength of the piece lie.

SH: What drew you to this show in particular? Was it the story, the production of the show or something else?

SB: Well the story is based on a real episode of war where seven soviet soldiers were captured and entombed in a monastery and two of them survived under horrific circumstances. It’s a quite horrific set of circumstances and their story of survival is bleak, but there is such a sense of humanity in their story of survival which humanises something so horrific. The true story is two soldiers survived and were court martialed and shot. This episode of history was meant to be wiped out by the soviets of the time, but a journalist, Barry Collins unearthed the story and he fictionalised the survival, their circumstances are true but their story of survival has been fictionalised.

SH: Was the original three hour production a one man show too?

SB: Yes, it was actually done with an Irish actor called Colin Blakely who if you’re from a certain generation you would be familiar with. He did the original version in the National theatre in London. The role was originally intended for Peter O’toole but for whatever circumstance Blakely performed it and Peter Hall, then artistic director of the National Theatre directed him in an almost three hour production with no interval. I don’t know how they did that, knowing what the show is like to rehearse and perform to hold people for that long, especially with people’s attention spans today. That partly motivated the move to 55 minutes to an hour run time.

SH: Given the intensity of the show and its content do you believe a three hour run time would be a bit of a slog?

SB: I think I might have been, just because of people’s attention span. A lot of the parts I cut didn’t seem engaging enough for me to read. I thought how will this translate when it’s put on its feet and performed. If it doesn’t have that much engagement on the page how will it be engaging to watch. So paring it back to just the facts of what happened is because I am looking at it as less of a performance and more like a testimonial, like we are in a hearing room. The audience are lit in the same light as I am, so it’s not very theatrical – it’s not a show in a lot of senses. We are in the same space in an intimate environment, this makes it an almost clinical, real testimonial experience. That is where the strength of the piece lies, you are sharing this story in a circumstance where people are there and faced with the facts of this story and there is no way for people to hide. Presenting this story in this way creates its own kind of tension, theatre is great when there is tension and that in a sense carries the weight of it.

SH: Is the show entirely from the perspective of one of the survivors or do you act out their testimony? How is the show staged?

SB: It is exactly that, it is a survival testimony essentially. The audience act as a jury in a court martial scenario. They have an active role in the show, questions are asked. They are not necessarily answered by the audience but it is put to them and you become complicit in the survival story, the audience essentially become part of the story and become part of that journey and put in the position of that soldier what would they do? A lot of the feedback so far has been people questioning their own sense of self in those circumstances.

That is the great thing about this show, it puts a horrific experience in front of you that on paper you might think “oh, that’s a no brainer, I definitely wouldn’t partake in what happened” but when you are thrust into that situation and those circumstances and in their stark setting you might reconsider that perspective.

SH: Looking at it as a one man production, it seems that might play into themes of isolation and losing yourself but would also make the show very difficult, does it play into these themes and is it difficult as a one man show?

SB: I think it does, it puts you in a vulnerable position being up there. Especially when we are all in the same light there is not really any dividing fourth wall between the audience and the actor. I think it puts me in a vulnerable position, but vulnerability is also a strength of the piece. To put yourself out there creates tension and that tension hopefully creates an engaging piece of theatre.

SH: Given the show deals with themes of inhumanity and the horrific circumstances of the plot as in the soldiers drawing lots to determine their fates – did you do any research into these aspects of the show in particular?

SB: The only sort of proper research I did was to go on YouTube and watch survival testimonies from the holocaust and things like that. That was the only thing that could equate in some small way to the experience these soldiers went through. In fact they become men at that point, it’s not really a soldier’s story just men, Humans in a situation. Which is exactly what happened during the Second World War. Those holocaust survivor testimonies are fascinating things, you would think people recounting those experiences would be in floods talking about these horrific things but how they learned to deal with it and talk about their story all has so much dignity in it. I have tried to get that perspective of dignity regardless of what they had been through. That sense of dignity came through in almost all the survivor videos I watched they maintained that dignity.

SH: Would you say through your research and performance has your view changed, not necessarily on this story but in relation to these tales about such horrific circumstances?

SB: When I first read it the reason I wanted to do it is that it is not a piece which glorifies war instead giving you a sense of compassion for them. If anything my compassion for these men in this situation has grown and the more I share it with people in a room, the more that compassion grows. Hopefully, as we do more shows and see how that dynamic between the audience and the testimony affects the performance, changes and grows you’ll realise there is a lot of heart in something so horrific. But, yes the more I have immersed myself in it the more my compassion has grown.

SH: You’ve touched briefly on this elsewhere, but how has it been received by audiences – are they shocked or appalled, how do they react?

SB: A lot of contradictory things, intense, uncomfortable but overall engaged in the experience. Without having a lot of elements of a show you are presented with something on a very basic human to human level and I am truly connecting with the people sitting in front of me. Then it becomes an experience, as difficult as some aspects are to listen to it’s like a car crash – you don’t want to look but its happening. It keeps you engaged because it is so human and I think it’s been an engaging experience for audiences that have seen it so far.

SH: You are obviously very passionate about the story and the role – would you say you find the role rewarding as an actor and a person?

SB: Absolutely, and that is another reason I wanted to do the show. Being an actor is not an easy job at the best of times you can’t grow and do better without work – you can’t practice guitar like a musician could. I’ve grown out of this experience, the need to perform and the need to be better and do better work.

SH: Did you seek this role and the show out yourself then?

SB: Absolutely, I spoke to Barry Collins, who is now in his eighties and living in the north of England. I showed him my adaptation of it and he Okayed it, and that is from the man itself, so that is a great kudos that he approves of it.

SH: In terms of the Edinburgh Fringe have you ever performed at the festival before?

SB: Never performed at it and I have never been to it, so it’ll be a completely new experience, an attack on all the senses but I am really excited about it.

SH: Of course the Fringe is mainly a comedy festival but there are also a number of unique theatre productions and one man shows – in that sense do you think this is something unique and something that has a place at the Fringe?

SB: I think because it is something different and it is avoiding simple entertainment. There is a lot of light hearted comedy and light entertainment at Edinburgh. So this show specifically locks you in a room for an hour with no way out but hopefully by the end of that you will have an experience that gives you a new perspective on what it means to be human and how you survive circumstances hopefully none of us ever find ourselves in. For that reason there is definitely room for a show like Judgement to be at a place like Edinburgh and I am hoping with this experience it will grow and we will continue and take it on tour and do more with it.

SH: Is there any aspect of performing for a home crowd in Belfast or Derry which makes it any more difficult?

SB: Do you know what? It was funny, we performed the show last week in Derry, and having close family and friends in the audience in a small room was the hardest thing so far. Sharing this particular story with people you know so well roots it in a bit more reality and as hard as that was it was so rewarding to share it. This been in my head for six weeks, six weeks to learn the whole piece and get it in and when you are talking to yourself in your room for 55 minutes to an hour to make sure you have the lines down, that’s one thing. But, then when you are looking into the eyes of people there in front of you and saying these things. It takes on its own life. That’s the joy and thrill of doing it I’m ready to share it and I want to share it with other people.

SH: In terms of your own background, does this line up with your previous roles or is this you striking out in a new direction?

SB: Definitely striking out, I have done a one person version of A Christmas Carol but that was a very light hearted festive piece and I had great fun doing that, it is a nice one to do at Christmas. In terms of one person performance that is the only time I have done that.  This piece particularly has taken me totally out of my comfort zone. That sense of fear has to be fuel with the fire, you can’t grow and do better work unless you put yourself, as uncomfortable as it is, into those positions to grow from that. I’ve enjoyed performing it, as much as you can and it has definitely fulfilled me, I know from this experience the work I do will become better because of it

SH: Is there anything else you are working on at the minute?

SB: This particular thing, Judgement is the focus. Getting people involved like potential producers and theatres that might want to produce the show with me, that is the next step for Judgement. Putting it out there seeing how people receive it and hopefully someone sees it has all the components to be an absorbing piece of theatre that I love to perform it and take it on from there.

SH: So tonight (August 9th) in McHugh’s the on to Edinburgh Fringe from what date?

SB: 19th to the 25th of August in the Natural Food Kafe at 55 Clark Street at 7:25PM every evening. We’ll take a good run at it and then we will know if the show has legs.

SH: Finally, if you had to sum up the show in a few words how would you do that?

SB: Intense, engaging, as much as it takes me out of my comfort zone doing it and I have benefitted from that I hope watching it takes an audience out of their comfort zone and allows them to have an experience which is unique and that in itself is enough of a reason, I feel to come and see Judgement.

SH: Thanks for your time, Stephen. I am certainly looking forward to seeing Judgement and recommend anyone over at the Edinburgh Fringe seek the show out.

Audio link for Interview (apologies for background noise): https://soundcloud.com/user-266044688/judgement-interview 

Check out my review and of the preview performance of Judgement along with some initial audience reactions elsewhere on the website.

By Sean Hughes