Arms And The Man

(or The Chocolate Cream Soldier)

The scintillating light comedy by George Bernard Shaw

Presented by Rumpus Theatre in association with the Sarah Thorne Theatre Broadstairs

Beautiful young Bulgarian Raina has heroic ideals, betrothed as she is to Major Sergius Saranoff. Her fiancé is away, fighting alongside her father, Major Petkoff, in the war against Serbia ... but when escaping Serbian Captain Bluntschli climbs into her bedroom through the balcony window, she finds herself hiding him behind the curtains in spite of herself. Does he have ammunition in his pockets? No … he has chocolate creams, like any other jobbing soldier. And when she catches Sergius flirting with her maid Louka, Raina finds her grand notions of love and war slipping away from her, as true love and honesty take their place.

This production is presented in memory of Shaw specialist Michael Friend who brought several plays to Middlesbrough Theatre including Fanny’s First Play, commissioned for the centenary of the Transporter Bridge in 2011.