June 1944. One man's decision is about to change the course of history. Read more …
An intense real-life thriller centred around the most important weather forecast in the history of warfare.
Scottish meteorologist, Group Captain James Stagg, the son of a Dalkeith plumber, must advise General Eisenhower on when to give the order to send thousands of waiting troops across the Channel in Operation Overlord.
In what became the most volatile period in the British Isles for over 100 years, the future of Britain, Europe and our relationship with the United States, rested on the shoulders of one reluctant Scotsman.
Pressure is the extraordinary and little known story of a Scot who changed the course of war, and our lives, forever.
Pressure is a thoroughly absorbing, well researched and engaging piece of theatre full of finger tingling tension that manages to be funny while shedding important light on a vital part of our history. Don’t miss it – no pressure!
A thunderous piece of theatre.
It seems clear that most of the play is factually true. Haig’s central performance ensures it is also true emotionally, and it all makes for an extremely satisfying evening.
Unfortunately, despite a full house of good performances, portentous themes and plenty of inter-character tension, Pressure isn’t so much a tumultuous storm as a rainy afternoon of a play.
A compelling and surprisingly gripping play, which provides a glimpse back to a time when nothing – not even the weather – could be taken for granted.
For sheer technical skill in theatrical storytelling...you won’t see anything to surpass Pressure in Scottish theatre this year and this play comes as a sharp reminder that if you want to challenge traditional theatrical forms with any success, you first have to learn how to build them, and build them well.
A visual treat due to the combination of Dove’s slick direction and Colin Richmond’s authentic period design, the final play in the Lyceum’s 2013/2014 season is a unique triumph that finishes an eclectic, varied but nonetheless impressive season.
While the performance never quite manages to capture the immensity of the decisions being made – figures of potential casualties are thrown about – it takes an unlikely hero and subject, and makes weather forecasting appear both scientifically exciting and theatrically engaging.
It's a straight bio-drama with no metaphor, moral or message beyond the facts of the true-life story, but thanks to the director John Dove's lucid production (en route to Chichester), it has a crowd-pleasing pace.
Haig has constructed a grippingly pacey adventure yarn.
I forecast it will travel further and play for longer than presently anticipated.
Haig’s play is an enjoyable and informative night out, but it doesn’t cook up much of a storm.
Thanks to Haig’s sharp writing and the cast’s conviction, it’s genuinely possible to forget any personal knowledge of how D-Day actually panned out; the result is some genuine edge of the seat drama with real heart and soul.
David Haig weathering pressure of D-Day forecasting
David Haig--Pressure
Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh from Thursday May 1, 2014, until Saturday May 24, 2014. More info: www.lyceum.org.uk
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