Showing @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sun 24 Aug @ times vary
Wilfred Owen called it “the old lie”: dulce et decorum est pro patria mori – it is sweet and right to die for your country. Following on from the successful BigMouth last year, Valentjin Dhaenens’ SmallWar is a beautifully executed, philosophical exploration of war, religion and humanity. Integrating video projection with live performance. Dhaenens evokes a nurse, a sufferer, the living and the dead as they consider the broader perspective of who and what they are living, fighting and dying for.
Based on testimonies from wars spanning centuries – from Attila the Hun’s empire through to the recent devastation in Afghanistan – SmallWar examines how humanity has (or hasn’t) changed. Voice-over, music, projection and performance tie together flawlessly to create a deeply moving and intellectually stimulating piece of theatre. Although there are moments which evoke a great sadness, it is not over-sentimental or indulgent: it’s raw and consuming. Death is ugly and dying is painful; war is vicious and ruthless. Whether it’s a lie or not, ‘dulce et decorum est’ is still a principle many of us live – and die – by.