Festival review: Soldiers’ Wives; Assembly Roxy
The wives she portrays, however, appear a little too obvious, too stereotyped. Covering all social classes – from timid house-mum of the EastEnders persuasion, to stiff-upper-lipped, keeping-up-appearances Penelope Keith-type.
The script resembles a squaddie’s spouse’s tell-all account from some women’s magazine. The issues that affect all soldiers’ wives stand present and correct but there’s very little in terms of actual plot and the ending, which no-one could deny having strong feelings about, seems like a last-ditch attempt to lend some additional emotional weight to the piece.
Rating: * *
• Until August 27
BARRY GORDON