From Here to Eternity

This is a high-quality production of a flawed musical.

G company have been marking time in Pearl Harbour for months. Lack of purpose leads to friction; the local whorehouse does a roaring trade. Captain Holmes lusts after promotion yet ignores his wife who falls in love with his First Sergeant. The officers hope winning the boxing competition will bring kudos, but the newly transferred star boxer refuses to fight. Racism, bullying and homophobia abound. These men cooped up in frustration need activity: as Prewitt says, a soldier needs someone to fight. If that is not an outside enemy, then…

The songs are delightful, but they do not seem to drive the story forwards. With so much depression and suppression, there was little to lighten the atmosphere.

Jonny Amies as Maggio did supply welcome light relief, as the cheeky chappie, before succumbing to racist bullying. Jonathon Bentley was noble as Prewitt – but leaving his reveal to the start of the second half is too late, by then I’d lost interest in his mystery. Desmonda Cathabel as Lorene is beautiful, alluring and down to earth. Her scenes are powerful and she has a stand-out song in “Run Along Joe”. Jack Ofrecio as Bloom does well to invest his cocksure boxing champ with self-doubt.

I wish we could have spent more time at the brothel to see more of Eve Polycarpou as Mrs Kipfer. Her voice and attitude to the fortunes of war added great depth but there was not enough for her to do.

In the other central affair, Alan Turkington as Captain Holmes effectively showed us the single-minded ambition which had killed his marriage. Adam Rhys-Charles as Warden, torn between being a good soldier as his deputy and a good lover to the captain’s wife was also key in linking the other storylines. Carley Stenson as the captain’s wife, Karen worked hard to bring her situation to the fore in this male-dominated society.

Director Brett Smock worked the space hard, though the traverse stage meant actors constantly turning, and use of the full area meant some people were straining to see what was happening while the main stage was empty. Although they did it impeccably, I became tired of the cast shifting ammunition boxes to create a new scene. Acting slow motion is always a challenge. I’m not sure how well it worked in portraying the air attack.

Stewart J Charlesworth designed an adaptable set with authentic costume even down to the frequently revealed underwear. Cressida Carre blended drill and fitness moves with dance to deliver attractive choreography.

The five musicians are remarkable. MD Nick Barstow leads a tight team in which Tom Harrison, Amy Shaw, Annie Blake and Philip Williams fill the theatre with the sound of a much larger orchestra. Hearing them warm up gave me a shiver of anticipation – they shone through the show. The cast’s singing was excellent.

The problem is the book: too many central characters mean individuals do not have time to appeal to us in depth and this stops the audience from empathising with their issues. Only three women against at least fourteen men makes it unbalanced. All male chorus numbers, however well drilled and choreographed, have a limited appeal. With all the ballyhoo of soldiers squabbling in inactivity, the script did not make me care about the individuals and their stories. Strange to say, but for me, despite much effort from the performers, the show lacked passion.

Derek Benfield