My Real War 1914 Tickets

The Great War, fought from 1914 and 1918, saw many men lose their lives and “My Real War 1914-?” focuses on one of these men, taken from this world in 1916, half way through the war that tore through Europe and the rest of the world. Based on privately published letters by the young officer, the production aims to piece together the mindset of someone in horrifying situations, including how a human being tries to cope with appalling conditions as he battles on in the name of patriotism.

The man at the centre of it all is 2nd Lieutenant Haviland de Mesurier, who will be portrayed in this production by television and stage performer Philip Desmeules.

Mesurier was sent out to fight in the name of his country, joining the army in a wave of patriotism, unaware of the way his outlook would change once her saw for himself the real horrors of the war. His beginnings as naive and enthusiastic towards the war effort soon give way to disillusionment, rage, disgust and ultimately absolute fear for his life. Eventually he would be killed long before his time. Though, had he lived, he would have gone on to become the uncle to John le Mesurier, the actor best known for his role in “Dad’s Army”.

Philip Desmueles has been seen in a range of stage productions, from London to other cities such as Southampton and Lancaster. His credits include “A View From The Bridge” in the West End, “Uncertainty” at the Arts Theatre, “The Hygiene Hypothesis” at Theatre503 and “Hamlet” at Greenwich Park. His screen credits include the movies “Dessaccord Parfait” and “Caught Out”, with television work in “Little Dorrit” for the BBC, “Doctors” for the BBC and “The Trafalgar Battle Surgeon” for Channel 4, as well as “Gracie!” and “Greta May”.

The show has been previously seen at Guildford Yvonne Arnaud and on a UK tour, which saw it gain great reviews from critics who found the piece to being a moving production featuring a powerful performance by Philip Desmeules. The Times referred to particular aspects of “My Real War 1914-?” as “irresistibly moving”, whilst also picking up on the compelling performance of the actor at the centre of it.

It means that his production is a powerful account of a war that should have ended all wars, a story that will have audiences gripped to the very end.

“My Real War 1914-?” is at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 7th October 2009 (previews from 5th October 2009) to 31st October 2009.