On the Wire - A play exploring the trauma of soldiers

THE human face of war and what happens to a deeply traumatised soldier when he returns home to Limerick after the First World War is explored in On the Wire, a newly-devised piece of theatre from Wildebeest Theatre Company.

The play, directed by Terry O’Donovan, is a promenade piece that takes place in the Sailor’s Home on Limerick’s O’Curry Street as part of the Limerick City of Culture programme.

The central character, Jack, is a sort of everyman. “We’ve created him from scratch,” says O’Donovan. “We’ve based him on different stories we’ve read. Jack worked for a time in a toffee factory in Limerick. It was suggested to him that he go off and fight in the war. But it has a bad effect on him.”