Arms and the Man

Beautiful young Bulgarian Raina has heroic ideals, betrothed as she is to Major Sergius Saranoff. Her fiancé is away, fighting alongside her father, Major Petkoff, in the war against Serbia, but when escaping Serbian Captain Bluntschli climbs into her bedroom through the balcony window, she finds herself hiding him behind the curtains in spite of herself.

Does he have ammunition in his pockets? No... he has chocolate creams, like any other jobbing soldier. And when she catches Sergius flirting with her maid Louka, Raina finds her grand notions of love and war slipping away from her, as endearment and honesty take their place.

A real audience-pleaser, Arms and the Man is a sparkling comedy that has more than a little to say about the state of the world today.

This production is dedicated to the memory of Michael Friend, leading Bernard Shaw producer and enthusiast.