New Theatre, Cardiff
Tue 12 – Sat 16 Sep
Straight from the West End, Ian Hislop and Nick Newmans’ The Wipers Times comes to Cardiff this September.
Originally adapted from the BBC film, The Wipers Times tells the remarkable story of the satirical newspaper that was created during the Battle of the Somme.
Picture it’s 1916 in the bombed-out town of Ypres, Belgium. Many soldiers have lost hope, when two gentlemen by the names of Captain Fred Roberts and Lieutenant Jack Pearson come across a printing press and began writing a satirical newspaper aiming to lift the spirits of their fellow suffering soldiers. Rather than dwell on what went on in the trenches, the newspaper aimed to motivate soldiers to keep morale high, giving an ounce of optimism to an otherwise dark time in history. You can see these tremendous heroes come to life as the story unfolds on stage.
Writer Nick Newman said, “the two main characters are Fred Roberts, the editor, and Jack Pearson, the sub editor, of the trench newspaper, The Wipers Times. Our heart is with them always because they sort of reminded us of us; we’ve written together for 30 years or so and their relationship is similar ours.” A heartfelt tale of two men that were incredibly brave. Both Nick and Ian have a tremendous history in writing; working for newspaper, film, radio, and television. Their career in collaborative writing started with Spitting Image and now brings them to this satirical masterpiece. If you wish to find out more about the creative writing process of the play, then you are able to attend a post show talk with Ian Hislop and Nick Newman after the Tuesday 7:30 performance.
This is a show that pays tribute to the resilience of those soldiers that despite everything, showed optimism and perseverance during the Battle of the Somme. This play allows you to look upon aspects of the war in joy and hysteria, providing another lens to look through into this otherwise tragic and heartbreaking event.
Tickets: £13.00 – £154. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
words ALYS CLARK