Following an acclaimed UK tour and run earlier this year at London’s Playground Theatre, Jonathan Lewis’ Soldier On returns to the capital at The Other Palace from 24 October to 24 November 2018. Ahead of its London opening, we’ve collected together a host of reviews from earlier this year, to give you a flavour for this sell-out show. Get booking, especially if you want to be part of Terri Paddock’s Q&A on 29 October!
With a 16-strong company featuring injured veterans, the show examines what really happens when military personnel leave the army. It follows the journey of a group of soldiers who start acting to help them recover from PTSD. Their words do the talking in what has been deemed “The Full Military Monty”.
Putting the play’s premise into action, the cast includes serving and ex-service personnel working alongside other actors, in Amanda Faber’s award-winning theatre company The Soldiers’ Arts Academy cic. The veterans in the cast, many also returning, are: Cassidy Little (ex 42 Commando, Afghanistan and Peoples’ Strictly winner) who plays Woody; Hayley Thompson (ex Royal Army Medical Corps) is Trees; Max Hamilton-Mackenzie (ex Royal Green Jackets) is TC; Mike Prior (Army) is James/Cameron; Sarah Davis (Ex Army) is Tanya; Shaun Johnson(Royal Artillery, Northern Ireland) is Flaps; Steve Morgan (Army reserves) is Hoarse; and Drew Johnson (Army Air Corps) is the understudy.
They’re joined by professional actors: Bertie Portal (as Col Tom), David Soloman (Harry), Ellie Nunn (Sophie), Lizzie Mounter (Beth), Ex-Gladiator Mark Griffin (Rickshaw), Nicholas Clarke (Jacko/Donny), Rekha John-Cheriyan (Maggie), Tom Craig (Len) and Zoe Zak (Sal/Paula).