“My life is a life of service” expresses Georgina to her friend Edith, in a statement that could be used to summarise the entirety of The White Feather. Set in the small East Anglian village Upton Davey, the musical follows the villagers as their lives are thrown into turmoil by the war.

The story shares the perspectives of different male characters as they face going to fight. For many, the male instinct to be dutiful and serve their country appeared to override any thoughts towards the horrors that they may face whilst on the front line; those who went to war were seen as heroic and brave, whilst those that stayed behind were treated as cowards and often cast out of society.  We also see the way life continues in rural Suffolk for the women who have been left behind. They attempt to maintain spirit and order, but realise their fulfillment of the male role still does not mean they have a free voice.

The central plotline of the show follows young Harry and his sister Georgina. Harry is only sixteen years old when men are enrolling to fight but he lies about his age in order to join them. Whilst there, the trauma he has seen causes him to disobey a guard and he is consequently killed for cowardice and treason. His sister Georgina spends the rest of the time trying to clear his name and commemorate his life.

Abigail Matthews plays the role of Georgina and is everything you want in a leading woman; she brings maturity and strength but also a great deal of vulnerability and softness. Her rendition of ‘My Little Boy, Harry’ shows off her beautiful singing voice and her ability to emotionally captivate those watching. The rest of the cast is just as strong, including Katie Brennan who is perfectly cast as the straight talking and vivacious Edith. Her rendition of ‘I’ll Tell You What I’m Fighting For’ is a brilliant celebration of courage.

The centenary of World War One has meant that, particularly recently, there have been frequent celebrations and pieces of art dedicated to the struggles and triumphs of wartime. It is rare however to see musical theatre writers take on such a serious subject, as there is often pressure to create a musical that is more positive and upbeat. The positivity we are able to see at the end of The White Feather, however, is in the great amount of strength that people found to continue and stick together despite the trauma they had faced. The suitability of the subject to this genre is apparent throughout and subjects such as shell shock, post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, homosexuality within the trenches and hierarchy are treated with delicacy.

The show’s music and lyrics are rich and innovative whilst still maintaining the nostalgia of old wartime songs. The cast are vocally very strong and despite only being a small group supported by a three-piece band, create an enormous sound.  Some of the most emotive songs include  ‘Set Them In Stone’, ‘In No Man’s Land’ and ‘Shadows Will Come’, but it would be impossible to pick a favourite as the beautiful music flows through seamlessly.

The two-hour-long show flew by and left me desperate to hear its music once again. One of the most emotive pieces of musical theatre I have ever seen, the show is a true gem and a wonderful contribution to new musical theatre writing.

The White Feather is playing The Union Theatre until 17 October. For more information and tickets, see the Union Theatre website. Photo by Scott Rylander.