Robert Tanitch reviews Bomber’s Moon at Trafalgar Studio 2, London SW1
William Ivory’s mini-drama takes his inspiration from his father and is a tribute to the men of Bomber Command who died and survived World War 2
The setting is an old people’s home. There are just two characters: a cantankerous, bitter, foul-mouthed old man who is dying and his new, well-meaning carer.
The old man (James Bolam) is an atheist. He was a RAF gunner in the war. He flew 29 ops and lost his best friend. He relives the horrors. The carer (Steve John Shepherd) is a Roman Catholic. His marriage has broken up and he has been contemplating suicide.
The carer needs a carer as much as the old man. The interplay between the two in Matt Aston’s production is extremely well acted by Bolam and Shepherd.
Ivory’s message is loud and clear: you need faith, love and forgiveness to survive in wartime, just as you do now and perhaps even more in a secular age.
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