‘The Two Worlds of Charlie F’ Review

The Two Worlds of Charlie F was definitely a play that caught my eye. Working for Blesma and serving in the Army Reserve it is a subject close to home, plus the raving reviews from celebrities and civvies alike made me curious as to what its special draw was. I had heard of the play through links at work and also a few military friends who had already seen it, so I decided to take the opportunity to go see it while it was showing close to home.

I attended the production in Guildford with my other half and we sat only about four rows from the front right in the middle. Personally I think these are the best seats as I like to feel the presence of those on stage, otherwise I might as well be watching TV!

I enjoyed the way the play followed the journeys of the characters right from when they went to the careers office, through their basic training, deployment, injury and the aftermath. It also provides a good context for the audience – people who serve in the military come from all different kinds of backgrounds, join up for loads of different reasons and have different experiences through their careers and on deployments. BUT – there is a common thread running through all of the characters, and that thread continues even after they are injured and in some cases discharged.

Many of the actors were able to play multiple parts, which to me reiterated the idea that although the specifics of their injuries may be different, the journey they embark on to recovery is similar. Of course the finer details of recovery journeys will be different, but the fact that much of it is the same allows for the continuation of the camaraderie that they had before injury.

I left with a better understanding of the many different facets and stages that having a serious injury has.

From when you sustain the injury, however that may be, to the amount of pills you have to take and the frustrations of rehabilitation. From the individual having to deal with their inner demons and the realities of living with combat experience, to the families and spouses having to adjust to their loved one’s injuries. It’s all right up there on stage in front of you in its rawest form and will be the closest that a lot of us will get to being in that situation.

I would urge anyone – regardless of whether you have links to the military or not – to watch the play live or on DVD help them gauge an understanding of what someone goes through when they suffer a traumatic injury that impacts on them and everyone around them. 

To find out more visit http://www.charlie-f.com/