Paul Bradley (Nigel) Takes A Journey's End

By Larry Jaffee

An impromptu business trip in mid-January landed me in London for a week when I had the good fortune to catch former EastEnders actor Paul Bradley (Nigel Bates) in a West End play, Journey's End at the Comedy Theatre.

Set in World War I, Journey's End drives home the futility of war, and was especially timely given the news coming daily out of Iraq.

Bradley's stout Trotter-an officer, but not an upper class one-provides comic relief to the rather depressing environment, much like Nigel did on EastEnders. Trotter loves his meals, even if they are Army rations, and makes the best of his surroundings-in this case, their camp 50 yards from a German stronghold. While the soldiers down in the trenches surely internally have doubts about attacking, they must follow their superiors' orders, however misguided. Although he appears to be a simpleton, Trotter is really a deep thinker, as he explains to his fellow officers his mathematical method for making it through each day.

The Independent singled out Bradley's performance "as the likeably down-to-earth, food obsessed working-class lieutenant.... he lets you see depths to the man's decency which tells against the patronising view that he lacks imagination."

Authored by R.C. Sherriff, the original London production in 1929 debuted Laurence Olivier in the lead role of Captain Stanhope, the young commanding officer who almost prophetically knows of his command's fate and drowns his sorrows in liquor prior to their massacre. This production marks the 75th anniversary of the play's debut.

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