Alex: ‘Charlie F’ raw but life-affirming

From the battlefield to the stage, The Two Worlds of Charlie F reveals the human cost of war.

A cast of wounded, injured, and sick soldiers tell their gripping experiences in Afghanistan.

Director Stephen Rayne calls it “invisible acting.”

“It’s hugely emotional because there’s an intellectual and an emotional connection with the material that no actor can have because they haven’t had their leg blown off, they haven’t been in an IED (explosion) and watched their friend being killed, they haven’t had the experiences that these soldiers have. So it’s incredibly emotional for them.”

Executive producer Alice Driver says “it’s incredibly powerful and very raw role-play as well.”

“You laugh, you cry, and I think fundamentally you end up being incredibly inspired, regardless of what your background is, whether you’re military or have nothing to do with the military.”

Newfoundland native Cassidy Little plays the title character, Charlie Fowler. He suffered grevious injuries including losing a leg in an IED explosion, killing two of his buddies and an interpreter.

“I will adjust for the rest of my life. All of us will. Anybody who brings anything back from Afghanistan, or leaves anything in Afghanistan, or any conflict for that matter.”

“Even police officers, whenever trauma occurs, you spend pretty much the rest of your life recovering from that.”

Wallopped with double-whammy trauma, fighting a war and personal physical loss, these men now are in a life-adjusting battle. That’s the definition of bravery.

The Two Worlds of Charlie F is raw but life-affirming.

The award-winning drama premiered in Toronto last night. The North American premiere continues at the Princess of Wales Theatre through March 9th.