Sergeant Musgrave's Dance

A rehearsed reading of the 1959 anti-war play Sergeant Musgrave's Dance in memory of its playwright John Arden, who died in March 2012.

Directed by Peter Gill, the cast includes Ian Burfield, Brendan Coyle, Ben Dilloway, Nicholas Gleaves, Tony Haygarth, Philip Jackson, Sarah Lancashire, Robert Lonsdale, James Mcardle, Ian Mercer, Clive Merrison, Kate O'Flynn, Stephen Rashbrook, John Savident, Tony Turner and Mark Weinman.

Sergeant Musgrave's Dance opened at the Royal Court in 1959, directed by Lindsay Anderson, and centres on four Victorian soldiers who have deserted from an imperialist war overseas. They arrive in a northern coal mining town with the aim of seeking revenge from the townspeople after a witnessing a terrible act of colonial violence.

Although Sergeant Musgrave's Dance is now widely regarded as a modern classic, the play was initially badly received among critics and audiences, playing to quarter-full houses and prompting the Royal Court to publish a leaflet in reaction, challenging audiences to answer the question 'What Kind of Theatre Do You Want?' including high profile and passionate advocacy of the play.