Love of a Good Man

Synopsis

Passchendaele, Belgium, 1920

Set in the aftermath of World War I, Hacker, an opportunistic contractor, is tasked with creating a war cemetery at Passchendaele. As he navigates this grim business, he becomes entangled with Mrs Toynbee, a grieving mother searching for her son’s remains. Their relationship, fraught with desire and manipulation, unfolds against a backdrop of bureaucracy, class tension, and the commodification of grief. Other characters, including the bumbling Prince of Wales, the shell-shocked Bride, and the cynical soldier Riddle, orbit this central dynamic, each grappling with the war’s legacy in their own way.

Barker’s play is a darkly satirical exploration of post-war society, blending elements of farce with biting social commentary. The tone oscillates between mordant humor and moments of raw emotion, with characters often speaking in a heightened, almost poetic language that veers into the absurd. Barker’s style is confrontational and deliberately provocative, challenging audience expectations and moral certainties. The play’s structure is episodic, with scenes that feel almost cinematic in their quick transitions and shifts in focus.