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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