Billy Bishop Goes to War is a vengefully humorous peek at life on the battlefront, wrapped in slaughter, pain and poignancy. Although war machines create a vacuum for mythic heroes to justify its atrocities, this Citadel Theatre season opener comes across as more of an homage to peace.
Bishop was a roguish Canadian First World War flying ace officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top-ranked fighter pilot in the nation, possibly even the British Empire. As an older, wiser man in the show, Bishop is surprised by the coming of the Second World War and philosophically remarks, “It makes you wonder what it was all about.” The question is never answered.
Surprisingly enough, in this elegant 1978 John Gray/Eric Peterson musical creation, the young, cocky Bishop played by John Ullyatt is a self-described “liar and cheat,” a lazy cad who disgraces himself at military college and saves himself the trouble of expulsion by enlisting in the cavalry.
He hates the mud-soaked trenches and is unwilling to throw himself in front of a bullet for the greater good. After watching an aircraft from the Royal Flying Corps land, he transfers first as an observer and later as a fighter pilot, beginning a sweep of adventures.
Bishop loves the clean feeling of soaring in the sky, unattached to earthly encumbrances. And he develops a bloodthirsty streak for merciless dogfights, dances in the sky where one is prey, the other predator and only one survives.
The manoeuvres of this two-hander are fascinating as the dynamic and highly energetic Ullyatt morphs into 18 different characters. With chameleon-like attributes, Ullyatt goes beyond flashes of comedic virtuosity shifting seamlessly from a drunken soldier to a stuffy commander, a pompous patron and a pretentious butler to name a few. But it is Bishop, a man of steel wrapped in a certain naive charm that gets us to look beyond the laughter.
Accompanying Ullyatt on a fusty old piano is the supple and intuitive stylings of Ryan Sigurdson, former St. Albert Children’s Theatre music director. An onstage partner, the duo sings nuanced harmonies with Sigurdson’s deep voice completing Ullyatt’s higher tones. Although widely known as a standout pianist, Sigurdson surprises the audience and plays a violin, adding a deep, melancholy timbre to the heartfelt evening.
Kudos to director James MacDonald for creating quiet moments amongst Ullyatt’s full-throttle performance, moments when the significance of men’s actions really sink in.
And a special nod goes to David Fraser’s set and lighting design. The multi-purpose set is composed of a massive window punctured with broken glass. The derelict room is littered with a bar, posters and weathered boxes that with a bit of hocus-pocus Ullyatt uses to dust off the past and build the props he needs.
Billy Bishop Goes to War runs until Oct. 10.
