Presented in the Holy Trinity Church Hall in Fortitude Valley as part of Anywhere Festival, As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples was a moving story of conflict and companionship, told in a novel way and in an unusual setting.
Directed, designed, and produced by Lachlan Driscoll, this production marked the Queensland independent premiere of the play. Written by Rosemary Johns and first performed in 2015, As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples follows the journey of Sandy, the only Australian “Waler” horse who returned home from the first World War.
As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples is based on the true story of a real horse. A bay gelding donated to the war effort from a farm in northeastern Victoria, Sandy became the favourite charger of Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges, commander of the 1st Australian Division at Gallipoli. Bridges was killed at Gallipoli in 1915 and was the only soldier whose remains were repatriated to Australia until the unknown soldier in the 1990s. Sandy was sent onward to Egypt, and then on to France in 1916, before finally returning to Australia in 1917. During World War I, Australia sent at least 136,000 horses overseas, and Sandy was the only one who returned; many of the surviving horses were transferred as remounts for the Imperial Army, and some troopers chose to euthanise their own horses rather than have them taken away.
Divided into three sections, the play is performed as a trio of monologues by three men who accompanied Sandy throughout his time in the war, and for the rest of his life afterwards. As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples was a promenade performance, with the audience standing for the first two monologues and seated for the final one. We were ushered into the church in small groups to stand along raised “trenches” that were warmly lit from below. For the first two segments, the audience gathered around the edges of a performance space with the year etched into the dirt. Between each monologue, the audience was guided along the boards to the next section. The intimate setting and close proximity to the actors amplified the intensity of the experience.
In addition to the unique set and performance space, the sense of atmosphere was strengthened, by the choices in lighting, sound design, and music. There were also occasional bursts of song from one of the actors, although given the close proximity of the audience it was unclear why he was wearing a microphone throughout the performance.
The work is peppered with historical fact but grounded in feeling. The evocative imagery and lyrical language of the script created a strong sense of place, in both the present moment of the monologues and in conjuring the Australian landscapes that the men dreamed of returning to. Through the perspectives of three men embroiled in the Great War, the play ruminates on its futility and horrors, and on the mateship and fortitude that have come to be glorified in association with the ANZACs.
In this production the roles of Major General Bridges, the Veterinary Officer, and Archibald Jordan were all performed by Riley Finn Anderson. While Anderson’s characters could have been more distinct from one another – although changes in costuming helped to mark the transitions – he played all three with conviction and emotion, and his interaction with Rob Wainwright as Sandy was very natural.
The movement in this work was exceptional, from Wainwright’s high-stepping gait, attentive tilts and disgruntled shakes of the head, and snorting breaths to Anderson’s performance as a determined wounded soldier, a disheartened veterinary officer, and a homesick groom and grave digger.
A man playing the role of a horse through sheer physicality seemed like it might have an element of silliness, at least initially, but the convention was established early and Rob Wainwright brought such solemnity and sincerity to the role of Sandy that I found myself in tears by the end of the show.
A remarkable and unexpected slice of Australia’s military history, As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples was beautifully staged and stirringly performed.
As Told By The Boys Who Fed Me Apples was performed from 24 – 27 July 2024 at the Holy Trinity Church Hall, Fortitude Valley, as part of Anywhere Festival
For ticketing and further information, visit the Anywhere Festival website
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