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‘The Long and the Short and The Tall’ by Willis Hall was presented at Bovey Tracey Town Hall from the 24th to the 27th October 2012. The play was directed by David Wilson.

The play tells the story of a small British patrol in the Malayan jungle in the Second World War just before the Japanese invaded the peninsula and eventually Singapore. On a routine patrol they take refuge for a short break in an abandoned miners hut.

The play illustrates the dilemmas faced by the soldiers and their NCOs and the tensions that arise between a mixed bag of reluctant heroes who don’t really want to be there. The situation becomes more complicated when they capture a lone Japanese soldier, and the decision has to be made as to what to do with him.

This was a strong performance well up to The Players usual standard, and the Director had assembled a very capable cast who illustrated clearly the mundane side of soldiering as well as the very real horrors of jungle warfare.

A simple but effective set showed the action well and the different personalities of the different members of the patrol were well portrayed by the cast with some very realistic accents. Black humour made the audience laugh at times and the drama of the situation kept them involved throughout the performance. A good addition to the canon of the Players work.

Photos courtesy of Bim Photography