Historians love hard numbers.
Take, for example, the penning of any one of the number of books that have related the story of Bomber Command’s massive contribution to the Allied victory in the Second World War and, in particular, that of No. 6 Bomber Group comprised exclusively of Canadian airmen and support staff.
Come the surrender of Nazi Germany in early May 1945, some 250,000 Canadians, men and women, had served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), many of them with No. 6 Bomber Group which carried out more than 40,000 sorties. While some 8,000 decorations for bravery were awarded Canadian airmen, another 10,000 Canadians didn’t return home — killed in action in the skies over Europe or in training accidents, or dying in prisoner of war camps.
Veteran playwright David Craig is certainly familiar with these numbers and many more; his interest in Canadians’ huge contribution to the heavy bomber offensive over Nazi Germany piqued 30 years ago. But now, with 4th Line Theatre set to premiere the his work, numbers are taking a backseat to the human story.
“I knew nothing about Bomber Command,” says Craig. “That told me a lot about where we place our service in Bomber Command in the Canadian cultural memory.
“We think of Dieppe. We think of D-Day. We certainly think of the liberation of The Netherlands but it (Bomber Command participation) was the biggest thing we did.”
The journey to the Winslow Farm and the July 4 to 29 staging of Bombers started innocently enough, notes Craig, with a conversation with a neighbour he invited to his home for dinner.
“He said the oddest thing — ‘Oh yeah, I’ll be there if I’m still ticking.’ I said ‘You’re coming for dinner. You’re going to be there.’ His demeanour immediately changed. He said, ‘I’m so sorry. I flew rear gunner in a Halifax bomber during the Second World War and I saw so many of my friends die. Sometimes I feel guilty to be alive.’ I was shocked. This was 40 plus years after the war and here was a man living with these memories day after day after day.”
Fascinated and intrigued, Craig endeavoured to learn as much as he could about Canadians’ contribution to Bomber Command; a process that involved, among other things, interviewing veterans and chronicling details of their wartime experiences. More importantly, it meant compiling their memories of their sense of belonging, their relationships with fellow aircrew, their fears and, yes, their happy times as young men on a great adventure far from home.
At the centre of the play’s storyline is Canadian heavy bomber pilot Peter Benton — portrayed during the war years by Michael Cox and much later in life by 4th Line Theatre founder and creative director Robert Winslow.
“He is a very determined, very persistent individual, and he definitely is a romantic,” says actor Michael Cox, who plays the young pilot.
“He has a bold side to him that shows great leadership; being able to face anything and come out the other side cool, calm and collected. I can’t imagine getting into a Lancaster bomber and having to fly over Germany while people are shooting at you and having the lives of six other men in your hands while you’re trying to do your mission.”
Shaina Silver-Baird, who portrays Emma, young Peter’s love interest, says Craig’s work “is just a damn good story. It’s got all the elements: the war, the love story. A love story that isn’t simple but complicated — the best kind of love story. You feel the reverberations that the war still has today. It’s beautiful and hopeful but still very real.”
But, notes Silver-Baird, there’s something else.
“We know so much about the Second World War from a British standpoint and from an American standpoint. I get excited when there are films or plays that are blatantly Canadian.
“I think in any kind of historical play or story it’s really important to depict the woman’s story. A lot of the time, especially further back, that hasn’t been written in, unless it’s someone’s wife. Yes, Emma is the love interest because it’s Peter’s story at the end of the day, but she’s representative of a lot of women who were in that conflict. Women were so instrumental in the war. It’s important to include them.”
Portraying Kate, an English historian doing research for her PhD who travels to Canada to meet and interview war veteran Peter, is Erin Humphry.
“I was really excited to be working on Canadian material, and new Canadian material, which is amazing,” she says.
“After finding out I was going to be Kate and reading the script with that in mind, I was really drawn to her. She’s so brave and driven. She’s utterly determined to get this information and to meet this man (Peter). I would like to see some of myself in her.”
Pulling the story together is director David Ferry. He’s been all in since first reading the script, even taking cast members to Trenton for a tour of a Halifax bomber.
“I got very emotional,” he says of that experience. “My dad was a navigator (on a bomber) … to sit at the navigator’s table and imagine him sitting there. When David (Craig) heard about my father, and my father-in-law — both having been in Stalag Luft III, a prisoner of war camp that Peter in the play is in — he wrote a scene with my father and father-in-law in it.
“Is there a sexier generation than the Second World War generation? Those young men and women were living in the moment. They lived passionately. Look at the dances of the period, like the jitterbug, and you see this incredible, physical, daredevil-like style, throwing caution to the wind. I think young people will come and get engaged (with the play) because romance is romance.”
What’s especially appealing to Ferry is Craig “didn’t whitewash what we did. The mismanagement of bombing runs is dealt with. The bombing of Germans is dealt with. He’s covered all his bases.”
For his part, Craig says not glorifying war in any was a guiding principle.
“I don’t think when we tell a war story we should ever beat our chests because people are going to die,” he says.
“We should be very deliberate and sober about the notion of war. But should we remember? Should we look at war in a three-dimensional way? Yes, we absolutely should. We should be reminded of the cost of war.”
Meanwhile, Bombers marks the return of 4th Line Theatre founder Robert Winslow to an active theatrical role after a 2016 sabbatical doing play research.
“They say it’s a young person’s game but there’s still a lot of fun in it for me,” Winslow says.
“Early in the research period I went with David to an interview with a gentleman who was a tail gunner. I get a spark whenever I hear someone talking about their memories. I thought ‘This is really important stuff.’ It’s a really good story. It’s told well and it has lots of exciting elements in it.”
With opening night drawing ever nearer, the anticipation among the cast is palpable.
“There are butterflies in the stomach, like ‘What do we have here?’,” says Michael. “You never know until you have the other half of the show present, which is the audience.”
Still, for Craig, trusting his work to others has been admittedly difficult.
“I feel totally helpless. It’s so out of my hands and it’s terrifying. The actors are saying their lines in a way I hadn’t imagined they would. The director is directing the play in a way that I hadn’t imagined he would. Everything is looking slightly different.
“I’m absolutely thrilled, but I’m kind of like the dad standing there with his wife in labour. The director will say I need you and then say ‘What are you doing in this room?'”
VIDEO: David S. Craig’s “Bombers: Reaping the Whirlwind” at 4th Line Theatre
With lyrics and original composition by Craig, musical direction, original composition and arrangements by Justin Hiscox, and choreography by Monica Dottor, Bombers features numerous songs and dance routines. Costume design is by Karyn McCallum with Glenn Davidson handling set design.
Bombers runs from Tuesdays to Saturdays from July 4th to July 29th at the Winslow Farm (779 Zion Line, Millbrook), with an additional performance on Monday, July 24th. Previews will be held on July 4th and 5th with opening night on Thursday, July 6th.
Single tickets are $38 for adults and $32 for youth. Subscription tickets (which included one ticket to Bombers: Reaping The Whirlwind in July and one ticket to The History of Drinking in Cavan in August) are $66 for adults and $56 for youth.
Tickets can be purchased by phone at 705-932-4445, online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca, or at 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office at 4 Tupper Street in Millbrook or at the Peterborough Museum and Archives at 300 Hunter Street E. (Museum Drive) in Peterborough.
