The Falkland Islands, July 2002. Jane has been keeping a secret for 20 years, and amidst the grip of patriotism as the islanders celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, Jane returns to pack up the family home following the death of her mother.
Jane takes the audience on a journey through the Falklands conflict of 1982, which she shared with her younger brother, where isolation and fear became the daily norm.
Toy Soldier is a play about family and survival set against the backdrop of one of the most harrowing conflicts in modern history. We sat down for an exclusive interview with Helen Goodman, Co-Writer & Director of the Toy Soldier, to discuss the upcoming performance.
Toy Solider runs from 3rd – 18th October – Tickets are available here.
Toy Soldier returns after its 2025 premiere at Waterloo East Theatre. What did you learn from that first production, and what have you changed or developed for its Union Theatre run?
The first run of Toy Soldier was very well received by audiences and critics. We wanted to develop a couple of the characters further and enhance certain areas of the storyline. We have an excellent team supporting us (Stephen Leslie, producer and Lucy Nixon, PR) and the opportunity to explore further ideas for our set design in the space offered at the Union Theatre.
The play moves between Jane’s return to the Falklands in 2002 and her memories of the 1982 conflict. How do you use those two periods to show the ways trauma can remain hidden within a family for decades?
We wanted to link the events of 1982 with 2002, as it marked the 20th anniversary of the Falklands conflict, as well as the Queen’s Golden Jubilee which saw the UK and the islands immersed in patriotic celebrations. Whilst millions pulled out the bunting and balloons, two siblings in the story reunite in a moment of deep sorrow (the death of their mother) and begin to unpack the memories and buried trauma of 1982.
The Golden Jubilee celebrations create a strong atmosphere of British patriotism around Jane as she confronts a much more complicated personal history. Were you interested in questioning the stories nations tell about war and victory?
I think this certainly provided a backdrop to the play, and indeed the notion of patriotism and victory is hugely prevalent with one particular character in the story. It was indeed the ardent patriotism, in both the UK and Argentina, that bolstered and motivated the men who were sent to the islands in 1982. The British troops returned home to huge media crews, fanfares, parades and pride. In Argentina, it was a more discreet affair with just family and journalists awaiting their return.
You co-wrote the play with Joseph Dewey but are directing it yourself. How does directing shared material differ from directing a script written entirely by someone else—and how do you decide whose interpretation wins when you disagree?
I am yet to direct someone else’s writing and I hope to have the chance to do that one day soon! Writing Toy Soldier evidently gave me a clear sense of the scenes, the characters, the emotions, their journey and the overall vision which I wanted to achieve. Joseph and I always shared ideas about what could work and what wouldn’t. I don’t recall us disagreeing about ideas, it was a very smooth process.
Alejo introduces an Argentine perspective into a story centred on a Falkland Island family. How did you approach representing both sides of a conflict that remains politically and emotionally sensitive?
Toy Soldier is not a political play. We were determined to focus on the human stories within the 1982 conflict. Alejo shows the audience the shocking and harsh realities of war, and his fight for survival in the hope of being able to make it home.
The title Toy Soldier brings together childhood, play and warfare. What does that image mean within the play, and what do you hope audiences carry with them after the final scene?
I chose the title after completing the first draft of the script. It became a powerful metaphor on so many levels; one character in the story paint toy soldiers to alleviate their boredom during those isolating ten weeks, without realising he slowly becomes the toy of a deeply manipulative character, and of course the young Argentine conscript, Alejo, who is the toy of his government.