Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society [RMDS] 
The Barn, Ringwood School, Ringwood 
Andrea Pellegrini 
13 November 2024
June 1944. One man’s decision is about to change the course of history.
Everything is in place for the biggest invasion ever known in Europe – D-Day, but one last crucial question remains: will the weather be right on the day?
Problematically there are two opposing forecasts. American celebrity weatherman Colonel Krick predicts sunshine, while Scot Dr James Stagg, Chief Meteorological Officer for the Allied Forces, forecasts a storm. As the world watches and waits, General Eisenhower, the Allied Supreme Commander, must decide which of these bitter antagonists to trust. The decision will not only seal the fates of thousands of men but could win or lose the entire war.
An extraordinary and little-known true story, David Haig’s play thrillingly explores the responsibilities of leadership, the challenges of prophecy and the personal toll of taking a stand.
Being such a World War II enthusiast and always a lover of a true story I jumped at the chance to review Pressure!
The set, although seemingly quite basic, came alive with its props and furniture, all looking as they would have for that period which set the scene and made you feel like you were in that wartime weather room. The use of lighting and sound effects were also excellent.
Steven Reynolds played James Stagg excellently, doing well with so many lines and barely being off stage. There were some lovely moments with Anna Wallis as Kay Summersby whose acting was impeccable. Nick Guy played Ike Eisenhower perfectly and his American accent never wavered. David Kehoe was fantastic in his portrayal of the brash know-all Colonel Krick.
The smaller but equally important parts were played by Paul Berry, Richard Bennett, Tim Wallace-Abbott, Andrew Chappell and Tom Andrews. Such great acting from all of them.
I really enjoyed this play, although there was alot of factual information to get through, we really got to feel for these characters and the situations they were in, not only with what was going on with the D-Day landings but in their personal lives as well. There were some sad and humorous moments, which tied the whole story together beautifully. Even though we all knew they would be triumphant in their efforts we still felt their jubilation at the end.
If you love true stories and have an interest in World War II you won’t want to miss this and even if you don’t but want to see a great play with some fantastic acting I would highly recommend going to see the guys at RMDS, the play runs until Friday 15th November.
