Review: Johnny Got His Gun at the Southwark Playhouse (The Little)

Johnny Got His Gun
Southwark Playhouse (The Little)
Reviewed on Friday 23rd May 2014

It's impossible to imagine lying in a hospital bed without your arms, legs, eyes, nose or ears, but that's exactly the situation American soldier Joe Bonham finds himself in after serving in World War I. Johnny Got His Gun tells Joe's unimaginable story as he attempts to reintroduce himself into the world.

Marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War, the UK premiere of Johnny Got His Gun couldn't be more timely. Bradley Rand Smith's smart stage adaptation of Dalton Trumbo's novel carefully drip feeds its audience information, instead of overwhelming with all the details of Joe's condition; at first Joe appears to be a bright, normal young lad before the extent of his condition is slowly unravelled.

Although Joe's arms, legs, sight, hearing and sense of smell have been taken away from him, his mind remains fully intact. We learn of his past and witness his incredible mental strength as he finds his own unique way of living and learning to communicate with the medical staff.

This one-man play is full-on. From beginning to end its intensity is mind blowing. Jack Holden may be young, but he gives the performance of a lifetime. I often found myself sat bolt upright with my mouth open as I watched Holden bounce from Joe's emotional extremes. I certainly felt drained after the performance and can barely begin to imagine how Holden feels after performing the show night after night. 

Impressively, Holden’s magnificent performance and Smith's writing allows the audience to sympathise with the character, but he never just becomes a solider with no arms and legs. An unbreakable bond is created and I often forgot that I was sat in a tiny black space with almost no set or design. 

Johnny Got His Gun may not be uplifting, but it is far from harrowing. The play raises some hugely thought provoking questions, it is a remarkable piece of theatre. Joe's story is told with immense strength.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

Johnny Got His Gun runs at the Southwark Playhouse (The Little) until Saturday 14th June 2014.
Please visit www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk for further information and tickets.

Photo Credit: Anna Soderblom

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