We spoke to the Director of Corkscrew Theatre Company's next epic production, Aaron Sorkin's 'A Few Good Men'.
In November this year, America may elect as President – for the second time – a man who has confessed his belief in ‘alternative facts’ and who, on a daily basis, tells lies on his own social network: ‘TRUTH SOCIAL’. You might therefore argue that in the case of Aaron Sorkin’s iconic courtroom drama, A FEW GOOD MEN, fiction has been literally trumped by history.
But a few moments in and it is under your skin… I love this play. It defies theatrical gravity, for one. How can you start a courtroom drama with the accused actually confessing to the crime? Is it a who, what, how or whydunnit? Is it a comedy or a tragedy? Is the villain of the piece really a villain – or truly a necessary evil? Is the hero even heroic? And when you get the choice do you choose ‘Unit, Corps, God’ or ‘Country’…? Or just a smart joke?... Or do you choose the truth?
Two painfully young marines languish in the brig awaiting trial for a crime they did commit. But were they following orders? And what is a CODE RED? Set in the 1980s and partly in a Guantanamo Bay Naval Base yet to be troubled by the evils that followed 9/11, you may even think that Colonel Jessup, the man who spawned a million memes and internet parodies of his thundering accusation ‘YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH’, is now quite benign by the standards of the 21st century. But the genius of Aaron Sorkin’s writing is to take a story and anchor us in the moral and ethical dilemma that faces each and every one of us, every single day. Who, or what, is GOOD? How can you behave in a way that achieves such a standard and is there a higher authority than the law – ‘conduct becoming’ a human being?
I confess I am one of those people who have been watching all seven series of THE WEST WING on repeat for 20 years, and that Sorkin’s glittering THE SOCIAL NETWORK is certainly in my top films of all time (so let’s face it; I’m a fan). A FEW GOOD MEN was his first ever stage play which literally took him from college to Broadway in one leap, and just a short time later to Hollywood. His genius has burned brightly for 40 years and shows no sign of dimming. For this age he is America’s Dickens, holding up a satirical mirror to the many foibles of their society and our time and hoping we will see a better version of ourselves. In 2024, heading it seems inexorably toward TRUMP 2: THE RETURN, we may find it difficult to believe in a place called hope, but this play helps remind us that if we try hard enough, we can indeed be GOOD.
David Sear, Director
A Few Good Men runs at the ADC Theatre from Tuesday 26 - Saturday 30 March. Book your tickets here.