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R. C. Sherriff and Journey's End
On 9 December 1928 a play oepned in London that included the young Laurence Olivier written by R.C. Sherriff.
R.C. Sherriff was a middle class British clerk who served in the 1st Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment. During the war he fought in several major campaigns including at Vimy and Loos before he was severely wounded at Passchendaele. He came away from the war and like many veterans sought a way to describe what he had seen to the public.
His vehicle became the play Journey's End. The play follows a company of soldiers as they deal with the stress of combat and their own fear of death. Expecting an attack, the soldiers deal with their stress in many ways, through drink, fantasy, arguments, and ultimately, boredom. Sherriff had a difficult time getting the play produced because the stage industry of the 1920s was against art made about the war, but when it was produced it became an instant hit.
While the play would be produced many times, the most popular rendition of the production would not be made under the original title. The British comedy show Blackadder Goes Forth was based on the play and used many of the scenes from that production as backdrops for the comedy routines of the show.
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