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Not about Heroes: The Friendship of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen
Drama Characters: 2 males
Set Requirements: Unit set
"Dulce et decorum est/Pro patria mori," facetiously penned British poet Wilfred Owen, who was soon to die in the Great War. It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. This moving play is about the poetic life and the inter relationship between two of the finest Great War poets: Owen who died and Siegfried Sasson who didn't. Told by means of letters and poetry, Not About Heroes paints a vivid picture of the war. It was staged to
Set Requirements: Unit set
"Dulce et decorum est/Pro patria mori," facetiously penned British poet Wilfred Owen, who was soon to die in the Great War. It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. This moving play is about the poetic life and the inter relationship between two of the finest Great War poets: Owen who died and Siegfried Sasson who didn't. Told by means of letters and poetry, Not About Heroes paints a vivid picture of the war. It was staged to
98 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
About the author
Stephen MacDonald
17 booksStephen MacDonald was a British actor, director, and playwright best known for his play Not About Heroes, which explores the relationship between World War I poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. Originally trained as an actor in Birmingham, he later built a significant career in Scottish theatre as both director and artistic leader. MacDonald directed at the Leicester Phoenix Theatre before revitalizing the Dundee Repertory Theatre in the early 1970s, championing new plays by contemporary Scottish writers. He later served as artistic director at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, where he continued to focus on historically rooted drama.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 1, 2025
Wilfred Owen to Siegfried Sassoon:
"And you have fixed my Life – however short. You did not light me: I was always a mad comet; but you have fixed me. I spun round you a satellite for a month, but I shall swing out soon, a star in the orbit where you will blaze."
Told in flashbacks/memories by Sassoon post-war, the play is mostly based on real letters and diaries, and it's very gay and very sad.
I basically cried throughout reading the whole play which chronicles the time Owen and Sassoon knew each other from their time at Craiglockheart hospital in October 1917 to Owen's death and the end of the war in November 1918. Ouch.
"And you have fixed my Life – however short. You did not light me: I was always a mad comet; but you have fixed me. I spun round you a satellite for a month, but I shall swing out soon, a star in the orbit where you will blaze."
Told in flashbacks/memories by Sassoon post-war, the play is mostly based on real letters and diaries, and it's very gay and very sad.
I basically cried throughout reading the whole play which chronicles the time Owen and Sassoon knew each other from their time at Craiglockheart hospital in October 1917 to Owen's death and the end of the war in November 1918. Ouch.
April 1, 2014
Tasty homoerotic fan-fiction. OR IS IT??? Fiction, that is.
Dulce et decorum est, indeed, Mr. MacDonald.
Dulce et decorum est, indeed, Mr. MacDonald.
April 28, 2013
Having first seen this play performed to perfection at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, I immediately ordered the script. And I bought two volumes of poetry - one of Sassoon's and one of Owen's - and poured over them. Next I wrote a grant so I could produce a staged reading of the play. It was mesmerizing. Now I am directing a full production and have the talents of two fine actors and a set designer who understands the bareness of the scenes. The poetry - with helpful lighting - is the scenic design.
Anyone who only reads this text will not get the subtleties, the slow growing relationship, the kindness, love and tragedy that befall the two poets. But mostly they will not find the rich core of war torn emotions and devastation, the futility and madness war invokes.
This is what makes this script so important, so universal and pertinent.
Anyone who only reads this text will not get the subtleties, the slow growing relationship, the kindness, love and tragedy that befall the two poets. But mostly they will not find the rich core of war torn emotions and devastation, the futility and madness war invokes.
This is what makes this script so important, so universal and pertinent.
July 6, 2022
I was asked to read this on July 3, 2022. It was powerful in that like Robinson Jeffers, both Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, fought bravely for their country, and were PTSD patients before they knew the term.
Because Sassoon was a known poet, and won medals, they sent him to a NERVOUS HOSPITAL, and Owen who became the better artist, was not known as a poet and was labeled a coward.
Both returned to war, but not for the reasons one would suspect.
Devastating play.
Because Sassoon was a known poet, and won medals, they sent him to a NERVOUS HOSPITAL, and Owen who became the better artist, was not known as a poet and was labeled a coward.
Both returned to war, but not for the reasons one would suspect.
Devastating play.
March 13, 2019
Heartbreaking! Incredibly amazing!
February 2, 2019
Re-reading, it is even more powerful than last time. Moving, poignant and poetic.
March 24, 2015
I wasn't keen on this play, and even though I have not seen it on stage, I do not think it would work as a production, with simply two characters. I do not enjoy monologues in most things, but I felt that a play majoritively made up of them might drive me insane.
The only part I truly enjoyed was the basis to it with the developement of the relationship between two real-life characters of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. I found it interesting, although probably frowned upon at the time, that they were portrayed as lovers, not just friends.
Otherwise, I found it quite dull. Yes, the story was interesting, but it would only have worked as a story in my view, not as a play. I also found it to be incredibly slow-paced, making it even more dull.
The only part I truly enjoyed was the basis to it with the developement of the relationship between two real-life characters of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. I found it interesting, although probably frowned upon at the time, that they were portrayed as lovers, not just friends.
Otherwise, I found it quite dull. Yes, the story was interesting, but it would only have worked as a story in my view, not as a play. I also found it to be incredibly slow-paced, making it even more dull.
September 23, 2007
This was one of those books I wanted to write. And so I resent it not only for having already been written, but for not even being written particularly well. It's a great story, of course, but history gave us the story; MacDonald doesn't add much. It's a very, very textual book--textual in the sense of drawing heavily on Sassoon's and Owen's writing, but also textual in the sense of not subtextual. There's very little authorial interpretation going on here, which makes it a pretty flat retelling.
August 17, 2016
One of the most astonishingly beautiful things I have ever read. Fascinating to see relationship between Owen and Sassoon (particularly having read Pat Barker's 'Regeneration' and looked at the pair's poetry). Loved the integration of the poems into the text of the play itself and seeing the poems we know so well come into being (particularly the moment of the creation of 'Anthem').
Now need to look in greater detail at the poetry - particularly Sassoon's.
Now need to look in greater detail at the poetry - particularly Sassoon's.
July 17, 2015
This book is not about heroes. English poetry is not yet fit to speak of them. Nor is it about deeds, or lands, nor anything about glory, honor, might, majesty, dominion, or power, except War. Above all I am not concerned with Poetry. My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity.
August 7, 2016
A truly sweet, heartwarming monologue between historical characters, Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. It plays out their relationship well, even though the author does not go as far as to describe the very real "romantic" relationship they had.
If you love Pat Barker's "Regeneration" series, you will definitely appreciate this play.
If you love Pat Barker's "Regeneration" series, you will definitely appreciate this play.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews