Tabard Theatre, Bath Road, London W4.

🍷🍷🍷🍷 – 4 out of 5 glasses of fine claret! (Or Woods Navy Rum!)

(Oh.. 🍷… they’re our ‘bohemian’ version of Stars! ⭐️)

It’s a massive, tiny story is Mettle. And a true story of a bloody conflict in the middle of a vast ocean. Which like all bloody conflicts throughout history is executed by individuals… just normal people like you and me. And like actor Nick Collett’s ex Sheffield steel-worker Dad. He served on the Atlantic convoys in the Second World War and saw active service. They were protecting unarmed merchant ships bringing crucial supplies to an embattled UK. The German U-boats were horribly ruthless and effective.

Mr Collett served on board the HMS Vanessa during WW2 and like many of that generation didn’t talk much about it after the event. I have some personal experience of this; my Dad lied about his age in WW2 and ended up in 2nd Parachute Regiment, dropping at Arnhem… you know the film – A Bridge Too Far. A bit like Nick, I did a bit of research into Dad… and it was a pretty gory story. I completely understand why that generation of heroes had no desire to share their horrors with beloved children.

However, one of the delights, perhaps unexpected, from this story, is that that there isn’t actually too much gore! In one sense that makes this a far more moving story. It’s not a massive battle, it’s not a bridge too far, it’s an everyday story of a ‘normal’ man who served his country in the second world war.

In one sense it’s quite a strange show, with mainly storytelling rather than acting. But the drama and emotion seeps through, aided by some clever props, lighting and sound all sensitively directed by Gavin Robertson.

It’s a moving hour, is Mettle. Go see it and learn about Mr. Collett. He would be proud of you. And his son, Nick.

Tickets https://www.tabard.org.uk