Salisbury Playhouse to stage Sebastian Faulks’s best-selling novel Birdsong
Marking the 30th anniversary of Sebastian Faulks’s international best-selling novel Birdsong, the stage version will open at Salisbury Playhouse next month ahead of a UK tour.
The play will feature a cast that includes former EastEnders star Max Bowden playing Jack Firebrace. James Esler (Litvinenko) will play Stephen Wraysford alongside Charlie Russell (The Goes Wrong Show, And Then There Were None) as Isabelle Azaire.
Birdsong tells the story of one man’s journey through an all-consuming love affair and into the horror of the First World War. It has been adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and is directed by Alastair Whatley.
Beginning in pre-war France, a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford, embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their world upside down.
As the war breaks out over the idyll of his former life, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground. Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war, Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle as his world explodes around him.
Rachel Wagstaff said: “I am thrilled that Original Theatre will be bringing Birdsong to the stage again, in this brand new production. I fell in love with Sebastian Faulks’s novel, Birdsong, many years ago and, if anything, that love has only grown stronger over the years – the sign of a true masterpiece.
"It was such a pleasure going back to the novel and to the script, with everything I have gleaned from previous productions. This new production promises to burst with life, and this remarkable book’s message feels more relevant than ever, at a time when we all hope that love and peace will triumph over the horrors of war.”
Birdsong is produced in association with Wiltshire Creative and will open at Sailsbury Playhouse from 6th to 14th September. Tickets are priced from £12.
For more information and bookings, visit http://wiltshirecreative.co.uk or call the box office on 01722 320 333.
