Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
Stephen Daldry
Part of
Young Writers’ Festival: Storming
Dates Performed
Monday 28th October 1996
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Play Details
Synopsis
The Scottish Highlands become a battleground of family loyalty and national allegiance during the tumultuous Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.
Jamie, a young Scottish boy, finds himself torn between family duty and political conviction when his father forces him and his brother to fight on opposite sides of the Jacobite Uprising. As the brothers don the uniforms of opposing armies, they grapple with the painful realization that their next encounter on the battlefield could be fatal.
In this remarkably mature 20-minute drama, 11-year-old playwright Matty Chalk explores the profound impact of war on family bonds and individual identity. Through the brothers’ struggle, Chalk deftly examines themes of loyalty, loss, and the moral complexities of conflict. As Jamie and his brother face the possibility of confrontation, the play poses a haunting question: In a world where family ties clash with political ideologies, can the bonds of brotherhood survive the divisive forces of war and parental manipulation?
