Napoleon’s last days on the island of St Helena have inspired a number of writers. It’s not hard to see why – the once-most-powerful-man in Europe stuck out on an island in the middle of nowhere, with his skeleton staff, memories and hurt pride, is one of the great "coda" stories in history. It's a terrific "and then this happened to him." I can't think of anyone else who finished their life in such a melancholically romantic way - maybe Bonnie Prince Charlie.
This was an adaptation of RC Sherriff’s play, which (according to John Chapman’s introduction) was destined for an unheralded short run at the Old Vic in the 1930s until a glowing letter of recommendation from Winston Churchill to the Times saw it transferred successfully to the West End. Maybe Churchill related to this tale of a once powerful figure in exile; he of course made a comeback (two, in fact) but Napoleon never did.
The problem with this as a play is a big one: there’s no real story. From the first scene Napoleon is bitter and complaining – he hates being called “General” instead of “Emperor”, he wants a bigger allowance, he doesn’t like his men talking to him as equals, he squabbles with the Governor who wants to keep him on a leash. It’s repetitive and lacking in decent characters. There’s a few mini plots – they won't let him send letters, there's some fear of an escape attempt, a loyal general insists on telling him the truth – but they all feel the same. By the time Napoleon carks it you’re almost glad because he was such a whinger. I remember once reading an analysis of R.C. Sherriff's writing (I think it was in a book on The Dam Busters) which said he struggled if the story didn't provide him with a ready made climax, such as Journey's End and that's definitely the case here. Dennis King plays Napoleon.
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