Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
George Devine
Dates Performed
Friday 27th April 1962
Main House (Downstairs)
Wednesday 13th June 1962
Vaudeville Theatre
Play Details
Synopsis
On a post-war RAF base, class tensions simmer as young conscripts from diverse backgrounds await their fates.
A group of young men, thrown together by National Service, navigate the rigid hierarchy of the Royal Air Force. At the center of the drama is Pip, a privately educated recruit who defies expectations by refusing to apply for officer training, choosing instead to remain with his working-class comrades.
Wesker’s play provides a sharp critique of British class structure and its influence on military life. Through the interactions of the conscripts and their superiors, the play explores themes of social mobility, institutional power, and the clash between individual identity and collective duty.
As the recruits undergo training and anticipate their postings, the play raises provocative questions about the nature of authority and the possibility of transcending one’s background. Can Pip truly escape his class destiny? And in a system designed to enforce conformity, is genuine camaraderie across class lines possible?
Cast & Creative
Cast
Laurie Asprey
Cast
Alexander Balfour
Cast
Michael Blackham
Cast
Martin Boddey
Cast
Robert Bruce
Cast
John Bull
Cast
Colin Campbell
Cast
Michael Craze
Cast
Colin Farrell
Cast
Frank Finlay
Cast
Hugh Futcher
Cast
Michael Goldie
Cast
Roger Heathcott
Cast
Bruce Heighley
Cast
George Innes
Cast
John Kelland
Cast
Peter Kelly
Cast
Ronald Lacey
Cast
Corin Regrave
Cast
Alan Stevens x
Designer
Jocelyn Herbet
Sound
Colin Farrell
What our readers said
What’s it like reading this play now?
It feels of its time, particularly the ways of speaking and turns of phrase. But the idea of rebelling against engrained social expectations remains universal.