Pressure
Cast: 1f 12m
Staging: built set (single interior)
Amateur rights performance fee: £85 per performance (plus VAT where applicable)
1 May 2014Size: 198mm x 129mm
1 May 2014Size: 297mm x 210mm
12 Jun 2014
Pressure
Paperback
£10.99£8.79
A4 Spiral-bound
£14.99£11.99
Ebook
£10.99£8.79
An intense real-life thriller centred around the most important weather forecast in the history of warfare.
June 1944. One man's decision is about to change the course of history.
Everything is in place for the biggest invasion ever known in Europe – D-Day. One last crucial question remains: will the weather be right on the day?
Problematically there are two opposing forecasts. American celebrity weatherman Colonel Krick predicts sunshine, while Scot Dr James Stagg, Chief Meteorological Officer for the Allied Forces, forecasts a storm. As the world watches and waits, General Eisenhower, Allied Supreme Commander, must decide which of these bitter antagonists to trust. The decision will not only seal the fates of thousands of men, but could win or lose the entire war.
An extraordinary and little-known true story, David Haig's play thrillingly explores the responsibilities of leadership, the challenges of prophecy and the personal toll of taking a stand.
Pressure premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in May 2014 before transferring to Chichester Festival Theatre, in a production directed by John Dove, with the author playing James Stagg.
Weather charts available for use in performance
The weather charts used in the original professional production are available for use by amateur companies performing the play.
The five weather charts show the authentic meteorological patterns leading up to the D-Day Landings – and are a vital component in the play's action. They can be licensed for a one-off fee of £60 (plus VAT where applicable). On receipt of the fee, we will supply you with digital files (jpegs and pdfs) of the charts, enabling you to print, project or reproduce them in your production.
To discuss this further or place your order for the charts, email us at rights@nickhernbooks.co.uk or phone +44 (0)20 8749 4953.
This play is also available as an A4 Edition. With spiral binding, a larger print size and additional space for notes, this format is ideal for directors, stage managers, actors and others to use in rehearsal and production.
To order, simply select the 'A4 Spiral-bound' option above. Please note A4 Editions are only available for delivery within the UK.
Extra Content: listen to David Haig discussing his play Pressure with author Kate Mosse, recorded at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, in June 2014.
'The tension is palpable and expertly maintained throughout, with real wit and warmth as well... Haig has obviously done his research, and then smartly played with the facts for full dramatic effect. You wouldn't think a story about predicting the weather could play like a thriller, but it does… a rip-roaring evening's entertainment'
Radio Times'Utterly engrossing… unostentatiously and with a quiet intensity, Pressure covers a lot of ground without ever resorting to patriotic cliché'
Whatsonstage.com'This highly watchable, microscopic look into the mechanics of battle is nothing short of enthralling. It's also surprisingly humorous; Haig's dialogue feels quintessentially British and for that reason it resonates fondly'
Broadway World'Fascinatingly original… with its moments of comedy and atmosphere of high stakes, this is an excellent documentary drama'
The Arts Desk'Haig has researched his subject matter in great detail, but more importantly the play grabs the attention from the outset and never loosens its dramatic grip. It captures the extraordinary pressure its characters are under at this crucial turning point in the Second World War, with wit, compassion and sheer dramatic verve. By turns funny, tense and deeply affecting. I cannot recommend it too highly'
Telegraph'Sharp, witty and affecting… events flow across the stage like sunlight and shadow on a changeable summer's afternoon – fast and hectic, tense and fraught, calm, thoughtful'
Guardian'A tense, tight and quite brilliant drama… more moving than a dozen Saving Private Ryans'
British Theatre Guide'Completely gripping... a play about unsung heroes, responsibility, integrity and the nature of bravery'
Financial Times'Tempestuous and highly charged... a thunderous piece of theatre'
The StageCast: 1f 12m
Staging:built set (single interior)
Amateur rights performance fee: £85 per performance (plus VAT where applicable)
1 May 2014Size: 198mm x 129mm
1 May 2014Size: 297mm x 210mm
12 Jun 2014
