This term, King’s presented a new production of Così by acclaimed Australian playwright Louis Nowra. But let’s take a moment to look back, forty years in fact, to 1984, when a newly arrived teacher, John Haigh (M 1984–2012), transformed drama at King’s with his extraordinary commitment to realism and production detail.
Haigh’s experience in the National Service of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe) brought a military precision to his directing style, combined with a deep understanding of performance. As fellow teacher John Mountbatten (M 1981–84) wrote in his review, “Haigh sets high standards and insists they be met.”
Haigh chose Journey’s End, R. C. Sherriff’s powerful play set in the trenches of the First World War. It was a poignant choice for a school whose own history is interwoven with the loss of Old Boys in war.
Before the King’s Theatre was built, Haigh transformed the Music School Recital Room into a Western Front trench. Bleacher seating was installed, hessian cloth hung around the walls, and enough sandbags were piled high to divert a flood – all to draw the audience into the claustrophobic world of the play.
With a cast led by Laidley White (’85) and Charlie Dalziel (’85), Mountbatten noted that there were “many moving moments and several fine performances,” and that the emotional power of the production would remain with audiences for years.
Journey’s End is not a glorification of war but a stark study of courage, fear and humanity in the face of unimaginable strain. Mountbatten reflected that while artistic truth and integrity matter deeply, so too does the duty to remembrance – to dedication, consecration and homage to “the sacrificial offering of all those who died.”
He concluded his review with a line that still resonates:
“When the history of drama at The King’s School is written, this production will be remembered for ‘one bright shining moment’ when truth called out for an audience—and we responded to the call.”
Image (above): Laidley White (right) with Charlie Dalziel as Osbourne.
