Private Peaceful

★★★★☆     Heartfelt

Lyceum: Thurs 17 – Sat 19 Sept 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson

Private Peaceful is only at the Lyceum for one weekend, but is certainly worth catching. The touring production, from The Production Garden in association with Exeter Northcott, is affecting and wonderfully acted.

Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning 2003 novel for young people was almost immediately transformed into a one-handed play by Simon Reade. Since it first appeared in 2004 (pre-dating the stage adaptation of Morpurgo’s War Horse) the adaptation has been staged many times.

Benjamin Cain in Private Peaceful. Pic: Craig Fuller

Tommo Peaceful leaves his beloved Devon countryside to enlist to fight in the First World War despite being underage – partly to avoid accusations of cowardice and partly to stay with Charlie, the older brother he idolises.

Anyone familiar with the novel will notice that there is a significant change to the outcome of the story, but it remains an emotive tale of home and war, of love and loss, beautifully told and sensitively adapted. While the book’s 9+ recommendation is carried over into the theatrical version, it must be pointed out that there are some adult themes on display in what is often a decidedly downbeat narrative, and the evocation of the horror of war is appropriately disturbing.

a generous, humane and skilful performance

The performer here is Benjamin Cain, recently graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. This is his first professional stage engagement, which explains the fresh-faced look but just makes his performance even more extraordinary.

On stage for nearly 90 minutes with only a camp bed for company, Cain holds his audience in the palm of his hand with a generous, humane and skilful performance. He is extremely versatile and very good at portraying the other characters in the narrative without succumbing to the temptation, so common in such circumstances, to overplay them.

Benjamin Cain in Private Peaceful. Pic: Craig Fuller

He is aided by Reade’s sympathetic and elegantly paced direction, and minimal but highly effective design (credited to the Production Garden). The sound design of Jason Barnes is similarly effective for being underplayed; the same cannot always be said for Adam Foley’s lighting, which is dramatic but sometimes overly so, distractingly drawing attention to itself on occasion.

Perhaps the adaptation is also just a little too long; there is an unavoidable and noticeable slackening of dramatic tension towards the end despite everyone’s best efforts. Nevertheless, this is an accomplished and almost desperately poignant piece of theatre.

Running time: One hour and 25 minutes (no interval).
Lyceum Theatre, 30 Grindlay St, EH3 9AX.
Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 September 2026.
Evenings: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.

Tour website: https://theproductiongarden.co.uk
Facebook: @The Production Garden
Instagram: @tpglive

Benjamin Cain in Private Peaceful. Pic: Craig Fuller

ENDS

Tags: Adam Foley, Benjamin Cain, Exeter Northcott, Hugh Simpson, Jason Barnes, Lyceum, Michael Morpurgo, Private Peaceful, Review, Simon Reade, The Production Garden, Theatre