By Jen Corcoran, Southport Dramatic Company
It is said that there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. However, when one is planning a military invasion, the weather is quite important.
Not only this, but when it is an operation taking in air, land and sea then there are tides and lunar phases at play too.
This is the challenge that faced the American, British and Canadian troops in the summer of 1944, when the Second World War had been raging for coming up to five years.
This is where Group Captain James Stagg became an invaluable asset. A Met Office meteorologist, Stagg is noted to have persuaded General Dwight D Eisenhower to change the date of the Normandy Landings from 5th June 1944 to 6th June 1944. His story is told in the acclaimed David Haig play “Pressure” which is being performed at the Little Theatre on Hoghton Street from 23 February – 02 March 2024.
The play was commissioned by the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, the city where Stagg was educated.
Playwright and actor David Haig was hired to research and write the story. He had previously had success with “My Boy Jack” which referred to the First World War.
This first play from Haig had first been performed on stage in 1997 before being shown on television on Remembrance Day 2007 with Haig playing Rudyard Kipling and Daniel Radcliffe as Kipling’s son John.
He may be more familiar to some as an actor, having featured in Four Weddings and a Funeral, and The Thin Blue Line, amongst many other things.
“Pressure” was due to make its world premiere in May 2013, but like the D-Day landings, was also subject to a delay and instead opened in May 2014. Haig himself reluctantly took the lead role after casting difficulties and reprised it for the 2018 UK Tour and West End residence.
Extracts from the play were performed for several world leaders and dignitaries on the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019.
The Southport Dramatic Club is delighted to be able to share this compelling slice of history which was described as a multifaceted metaphor by The Observer.
The role of Dr Stagg will be portrayed by Richard Michell taking on a very different role to his outings in The Liver Birds and Blackadder last year.
General Eisenhower is played by Ted Bullen, a firm favourite amongst our audiences and a man who has played too many parts to mention.
Emily Parr returns to our stage as Eisenhower’s personal secretary Lieutenant Kay Summersby. Emily has played many wonderful roles at the club as well as writing and performing in her own shows and designing one of the Owl and Pussycat statues that graced Liverpool.
There are many other excellent actors rounding out the cast as well as a great many talented volunteers contributing the production via staging, lighting, sound, special effects, costume and props.
Michèle Martin
Overseeing the production as director is Michèle Martin, supported by Emma Wells Hall as assistant director and Janis Blackburne as prompt.
This story is especially close to Michèle’s heart as her own father was one of the pilots that fateful day. She relished the challenge of assembling a cast of 11 (including 10 men!), exploring and developing their characters and assisting them in representing military etiquette, posture and movement by bringing in a retired Coldstream Guard to offer wisdom and experience.
Her entire team have worked brilliantly hard and just need an audience now to come and be immersed in this tale of war, weather and wonder.
Pressure will open on Friday 23rd February at 7:30pm, there will be a matinee performance at 2:30pm on Saturday 24th February (with a Q&A in the bar afterwards) then the cast get a break on Sunday.
The show resumes on Monday 26th February and plays every night at 7:30pm until it closes on Saturday 2nd March.
You can find our online box office by visiting the website and clicking “Book Now”
If you prefer to speak to one of our volunteer members when our box office is open please visit in person or call 01704 530521/01704 530460. Hours of operation are 11am-1pm then again at 6pm when there is a performance.
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