War Game

BIRDSONG

THUNDER

THUNDER

CHEERING

Cover the goal!

CHEERING

-Lacey!

-Thanks, Freddie.

Hey, stop him! Tackle him.

Lacey, over here!

Tackle him.

LAUGHTER

CHEERING

WHISTLE BLOWS

-Good one, little brother.

-Thanks, Lacey.

-Will, we won!

Three cheers for Coldfield Village!

We're top of the county now, Freddie.

-Hip-hip! ALL:

-Hooray!

-Hip-hip! ALL:

-Hooray!

-Made the last game the best, eh?

-Last game? It's only September.

-What about next Saturday?

-We haven't got time for football any more.

Don't you know? England's declared war against Germany.

Of course we know.

My father says our country's going to need every man it's got

-and we're going to go.

-That's right.

-We're going to fight.

I thought fighting wars was what the army was for.

We've all got to join in this time.

It's the biggest war there's ever been

and we're going in two days' time.

Anyway, that's our ball.

Oh.

Infantry soldiers get paid six pence a day!

They just want to play football.

It's not football, we have to work, we have to look after the fields.

They're going to be soldiers. They're going all the way to France.

-I've never been outside the county.

-Shut up, Freddie.

He's our cousin, he's a bit mad, good goalie though.

I can shoot a rabbit at 500 yards.

-I'd be a better soldier than any of you.

-Freddie!

You're quite right, you don't have to go.

-But one way or another you'll have to decide.

-Decide what?

You wait until we get back. We'll really beat you then.

-Men versus boys.

-See you next time then.

See you after the war!

# There's a game you ought to play and believe me it's a beauty

# Come along with me today, every man must do his duty

# I've got a little list here, can I take your name?

# Don't delay, join today, play the game, play the game... #

APPLAUSE

# Come along and do your bit,

# There's a problem that needs sorting

# Put away your football kit, here's a game that's far more sporting

# The field of greater glory is soaked with blood and fame

# What do you say? Step this way, play the game, play the game. #

Look!

CHEERING

-It's the boys! It's the team.

-Come on, Freddie! We'll need a goalie.

Coldfield Village! Coldfield Village!

-Freddie, wait!

-Come on, it's Coldfield Village.

We're top of the county now.

That's Freddie, he's mad.

He's only 16, they didn't ought to take it him.

He'll be all right. Won't he?

He's Auntie Mary's only boy.

Someone's got to look after him.

Lacey!

Do we get a full team?

CHEERING

'I was the only one left behind.

'The only boy in the whole team.'

There he comes, give him a cheer!

What do you say? Step this way, play the game!

Mother, please, try to understand. We'll be home by Christmas.

You don't know the first thing about war.

You're not soldiers, no-one in this family has ever been a soldier.

They train you.

Mum, everyone else is going. They need us.

Stop crying, Annie! You're not going.

ANNIE SOBS

The army can look after itself. You've got work to do here.

We need you here.

It's too late, we signed all the papers this morning.

We've got to report at 9 o'clock on Wednesday.

It's very unexpected.

She'll get over it.

Just come back soon.

No!

No!

SHE CRIES

Kitbag, tunic, trousers, cap, cap badge,

two sets underclothes, three pair socks, mess tin, belt, webbing.

We haven't got any trousers, they didn't give me any trousers.

No more trousers until Wednesday. You're excused trousers.

How can I be a soldier without trousers?

Wear your own until Wednesday.

LAUGHTER

Why's everything brown? I thought soldiers worn red.

-This stuff looks like mud.

-New recruits, report to the bullring.

Come on, we've got a war to win!

# To the sweetest girl I know

# Goodbye, Piccadilly,

# Farewell, Leicester Square

# It's a long, long way to Tipperary but my heart lies there... #

-All right, lads, look lively. Here it comes.

-Here they come.

Look! Cor. Here we go, boys.

I've seen pictures of these, postcards.

-They're from London.

-That's right, the best in the world, lads.

The number 35, first stop Clapham High Street,

next stop Flanders Field.

-RINGS BELL

-Piccadilly Circus on the way.

It's a London general double-decker bus.

Jump on for a couple of weeks, we'll drop you in Berlin.

EXPLOSION

If we don't get distracted on the way.

-All right, get moving.

-I'm going up the top deck.

Gosh, it's like fireworks, Lacey, on Bonfire Night.

The sky's breaking up in pieces.

A million pieces.

All right, lads, it's our turn.

I must have the correct coordinates. You're dropping them short.

EXPLOSIONS

HE GROANS

EXPLOSIONS AND GUNFIRE

Right, first platoon, your position.

It's full of mud and it smells.

Eugh, a rat!

EXPLOSIONS AND GUNFIRE

Welcome to the war.

Where are the Germans?

Have a look.

I can't see 'em.

Just over there, past our barbed wire then their barbed wire.

-Can't see anything, it's too dark.

-Good!

They can't see you then.

The ground, it's moving.

Toodle-oo! Enjoy the war.

"I thought you might like to know about the sort of place

"we are living in here in France.

"There are some things you would recognise at home.

"Early in the morning I see lots of barn owls,

"just like the ones who live on our farm.

"I watch them hunting for rats and mice.

"I have also become very fond of a little hen chaffinch

"who spends a lot of time near our trench.

"Occasionally when it is quiet enough,

"the boys and I enjoy hearing it sing.

"Lacey and I think of you all the time and I know we will be back soon.

"Love, Will."

Eat up! Come and get it.

Bleh! What is this?

Breakfast, it's bully beef.

It's horrible.

I don't know why we bother to shoot 'em.

We should serve them breakfast instead,

they'd be dead of a stomach-ache by lunchtime.

Bleh!

Oi! Grubs up!

-Careful, Freddie!

-You have some then.

-Blimey.

-That was good.

You'd have to be a quick shot to get that,

it was only in the air for about a second.

What else is there?

-Sorry, mate.

-Oi!

Wow.

He may be German but he's got a sharp enough eye.

Let's have a look.

It's like the circus.

-Hang on.

-I want a go.

Freddie!

He's better than our marksman.

-Hey, I could do that too.

-Oi!

Those are army plates, property of His Majesty The King.

Run!

Come back here!

EXPLOSION

GUNFIRE

Here you are, bruv. Happy Christmas.

Thanks, Lacey.

Happy Christmas.

It's as warm as I could make it.

That doesn't matter.

-Where's Freddie?

-Over there.

He's been on sniper duty again.

He's always volunteering for that.

Trying to prove something.

EXPLOSION He's a good shot, Freddie.

I'm cold.

It'll be morning soon.

I know.

-IN THE DISTANCE:

-# Stille Nacht... #

Christmas morning.

# Heilige Nacht... #

What's that? Can you hear it?

Music. Someone's singing.

Why would anyone be singing?

Look at us, this is the trenches.

Maybe it's angels then.

It is Christmas time.

It's not angels, Will, it's the Germans.

It's coming from their positions.

It's beautiful.

# Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh

# Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh. #

Will, Freddie, wake up!

-Look.

-What's he up to?

He's stark stirring mad.

What do we do?

He hasn't got a rifle.

You'll need a fairy.

Put the Kaiser on top!

LAUGHTER

Gib mir ein ball.

Boot it over here, Fritz!

Der fussball, Tommy!

Der fussball!

Will!

CHEERING

Oi, I can do that.

Ja, der fussball!

LAUGHTER

CHEERING

-Look at it go!

-Good kick!

LAUGHTER

-Will!

-Someone had to show him.

-Look what you've done.

-Come on.

Right, I'll be centre forward, Lacey, you go on the left,

Freddie...

-Should we be doing this?

-Look out!

-Gotcha!

-Right, you're in goal then, just like always.

CHEERING

-Will!

-Freddie!

Hey!

"The days of man are but as grass,

"he flourishes like a flower in the field

"when the wind goes over it, it is gone

"and its place will know it no more."

Come on, Will, let's have fun while we can.

You started it.

Will! Go on, Will.

CHEERING

Will!

Goal, goal, goal!

LAUGHTER

-That was our goal, Will!

-What?

-Look!

But I thought...

Hang on.

One, two,

three,

four, five?

Five goals?

And six balls, look!

-Who's in charge of this?

-We are.

Come on, Will, you're playing for England.

HE HUMS

-Hey, I recognise that tune.

-An English tune.

I was a barber in London for 20 years.

-Holborn Circus, every morning on the bus.

-Well, I never.

Oi!

Ha-ha-ha, come back here!

PHONES RINGING AND CHATTER

Connect me to HQ, quickly.

PHONES RINGING AND CHATTER

PHONE RINGS

Headquarters.

What?!

CHEERING

HE SPEAKS IN GERMAN

Company return to ranks immediately.

Lacey? Freddie?

Come on, Will! We'll play 'em tomorrow.

Entschuldigen Sie. Das ist unser ball.

-Our ball, please.

-Oh.

Wir haben gewonnen.

We win, I think. 3 to 2.

Yes, we'll beat you tomorrow.

Vielleicht. Bis morgen.

-See you tomorrow.

-Danke, Tommy.

Last one back, eh? Well done.

It's headquarters, lads, you're to stay in the trenches

unless ordered from now on.

There is to be no repeat of this unwarlike activity.

CHEERING

Happy Christmas, men!

What have you got there then?

From His Majesty The King.

Letters from His Majesty. A Christmas message.

# Happy Christmas to you all

# May you fight on with defiance and though some of you may fall

# All the rest will soon be giants

# You'll soon be made of marble in the highest hall of fame

# Christmas cheer, happy new year, play the game, play the game. #

Carry on, my boy.

Will?

All right?

Will?

Different soldiers now. Different Germans.

Our lot were relieved a couple of days ago.

When do we get relieved?

EXPLOSION

I don't know, Will. I don't know.

What happens now?

Now...

it's our turn.

-Lacey, we're so dirty.

-Yes.

I can't hardly recognise you.

Don't worry, Will.

We'll be going on a rest soon.

Miles away from the front.

You'll have a hot bath just like after a game.

-You'll feel better then.

-Yes.

-Let's get this over with first.

Fixed bayonets! Fixed bayonets!

We're going to sort this mess out now.

-Freddie!

-Are we ready yet?

-Yes, we're ready.

-Just watch me.

All right, men. On the whistle, eh?

First man to boot this over the German frontline

gets an extra can of bully beef and a mention in the Times.

'Der fussball, Tommy!'

'Der fussball!'

The cup final. Tommy versus Fritz.

Kick-off at the count of five.

This'll give them a surprise.

'Why are goalies always so daft?'

No referee.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Me in the centre,

Lacey on the wing, just like before.

Go on, Freddie, you're all right.

It's Will I have to look out for now.

'Look! It's the boys! It's the team!'

GROANING

Wasser.

Wasser.

Wasser.

Oh.

Water.

HE GROANS

Du bist ein Kind.

Meine Kinder.

HE GROANS

It's my team.

We're top of the county now.

There's a ball in heaven.

Thank God.

We'll all have a game when this nightmare's over.

At home, when he had a bad dream,

he knew that if he opened his eyes,

the bad dream would end.

But here,

his eyes were already open.

Perhaps if he closed them,

the nightmare would end.

He closed his eyes.