Simon Godfrey writes from the rehearsal room of Doomed Resistance

In our new play, Private Herman Schmidt’s favourite drink is Ovaltine and, come to think of it, the process of making Doomed Resistance has been much like making a delicious milk drink – you put in four heaped spoonfuls, add milk, go to the microwave, then embark on a lengthy writing development and rehearsal process, culminating in a debut performance at Plymouth Fringe Festival…

Well, maybe that’s just how we make Ovaltine. At any rate, developing our WWI farce about an overconfident German general who tries to bluff an enemy commander into surrender has been a hoot.

At any rate, developing our WWI farce about an overconfident German general who tries to bluff an enemy commander into surrender has been a hoot.

The show began as a fifteen minute piece performed as part of Falling Pennies Theatre Company’s On The Night, an evening of new writing held at Dalston’s Arcola Theatre.It was well received and prompted Plymouth’s own Ryan Penny, Artistic Director of Falling Pennies and all-round funny man, to ask if there was more than the fifteen minutes? There was, it just wasn’t on paper… yet.

It was well received and prompted Plymouth’s own Ryan Penny, Artistic Director of Falling Pennies and all-round funny man, to ask if there was more than the fifteen minutes? There was, it just wasn’t on paper… yet.

Ryan Penny in Doomed Resistance

And it has been Mr. Penny who has been the project’s driving force.

He’s assembled a cracking cast to act alongside him—the gut bustingly hilarious chaps Matt Warhurst and Tea Poldervaart—all under the command of director Rebecca Blake.

It’s been Rebecca’s comic sense in conjunction with the cast’s masterful characterisations that has lifted Doomed Resistance off the page and into a living, breathing show that has been a joy to watch develop.

There have been many rehearsal highlights – the prop work (i.e. grown men playing with cardboard tubes), and Tea Poldervaart performing the longest pause for comic effect I’ve ever seen. In fact, I think it’s still going on. As far as I know, he’s still in the rehearsal space glaring with comic disapproval. That’s commitment.

But now our bayonets are fixed and we’re ready to charge into Plymouth.

Note: Ovaltine not included in ticket price.

Simon Godfrey
Writer, Doomed Resistance