The dimly-lit figure of the bride is centre stage as the audience enter, seated on a slightly raised podium surrounded by outward facing lamps whose dazzle puts everything else behind them into darkness. There is sound logic behind that for both the protagonists are blind and with the main action consisting of the bride undressing on the instruction of the bridegroom.ĭenying spectators vision both puts them in the place of the characters and avoids any presentational difficulties in showing nudity and performing a sexual encounter that is very explicit. It presents a 17-year-old girl on the day of her marriage to a very old man embarking upon his twelfth and presents their verbal and psychological power struggle exploring concepts of lust and intimacy and the anticipation of sex.ĭirector Robyn Winfield-Smith has chosen to present it almost entirely in darkness, the audience listening for over an hour on headphones to three-dimensional audio. For the Italians, it was a humiliating defeat, the greatest in their history in this play, Isonzo becomes a character and the defeat would appear to be his.įirst produced in Dublin in 2001, directed by the author, this production is its London première. The 12 th Battle of Isonzo took place in Slovenia close to the Isonzo River in 1917 when the Austrian army attacked the Italian frontline using gas. Here they offer the London première of one of Howard Barker’s more difficult plays (first staged in Dublin in 2001 directed by the author) coupled with his more accessible and better know Judith, which has been called his masterpiece. Short plays are today often offered as stand-alone presentations and it is good to see a company following an older tradition of pairing (if not tripling) one act plays to makeup a full-length programme. Italy suffered 148,000 casualties, 30,000 of which were deaths and the Austro-Hungarian army suffered 105,000 casualties, 20,000 of which were killed, 30,000 missing, and 20,000 taken prisoner.Commendations to REND Productions for mounting this double bill.

This split will later prove to be an advantage for the Austro-Hungarian Army in the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo. Italy had left their army split into two parts on the other side of the Soca River. Because both the Italians and Austro-Hungarians were too weak to make another push in either direction both armies settled in and fought each other to the death. However, the Austro Hungarian forts, Mount Saint Gabriel and Mount Hermada were to difficult to take over and the Italian offensive wore down. The Italian army crossed the Soca River and took control of the Bainsizza and Mount Santo. The attack began as an Italian offensive to break the Austro-Hungarian lines into two parts in order to separate the Mount Saint Gabriel and Mount Hermada Strongholds. The Italians had 600 battalions and around 5,200 guns while the Austro-Hungarian army had 250 battalions and around 2,200 guns. The Austro-Hungarian army was led by Svetozar Boroevic. The Italian Army was led by Luigi Cadorna and Luigi Capello. The battle took place on the Italian Front on the Soca River, near Monfalcone, Italy. The Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo was a battle fought between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Armies.

Twelfth battle of the isonzo