Pressure

by David Haig

A Scottish meteorologist locks horns with his American counterpart as both men try to convince General Dwight D. Eisenhower that they can accurately predict the atmospheric conditions needed to launch the greatest amphibious assault in the history of mankind - the D-Day invasion.
Recorded before a live audience at the UCLA James Bridges Theater in October 2019.
Martin Jarvis
Producing Susan Albert Loewenberg
Jonathan Cake as Group Captain James Stagg
Josh Cole as Lieutenant Andrew Carter
Sarah Drew as Kay Summersby
Mike McShane as Colonel Irving P. Krick
James Morrison as General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Darren Richardson as Electrician, Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Commander Franklin
André Sogliuzzo as General Tooey Spaatz, Lieutenant Battersby
Matthew Wolf as Admiral Bertram Ramsay, Hamilton
Associate Artistic Anna Lyse Erikson
Recording Engineer, Sound Designer, Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood
Senior Radio Ronn Lipkin
Foley Brian DeShazor
Production Erica R. Christensen
Mitchell Lindskoog

Genres: Plays

Audio CD

First published June 12, 2014

Reviews

[Jo Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the pre-release materials for the IGCSE drama exams this year and when I saw it I thought it might be a bit dry for teenagers, but actually David Haig makes it a very personal and human look at a well aired piece of history. It appeals to the British psyche with its obsession with the weather but there is more to it than war and weather. It has sensitive characterisation with a nice cameo of the electrician making this an interesting social portrait as well as a documentary.

[Patrick Neylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intense drama about meteorology: what more could you want? Rival British and American weather forecasters battle over whether to delay D-Day from 5 June 1944 to the 6th, seeking to persuade Isenhower to go with their preferred date. Of course it's more about personal relationships than isobars and needs a bit more edge, but it's a good play.

[Henry Fosdike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to get through this due to life getting in the way (and my birthday) but it's utterly brilliant. Who'd have thought there'd be so much suspense from the weather forecast? The plot follows two weathermen as they bicker over whether or not to go ahead with the D-Day landings on the proposed day. One thinks the weather will be calm, the other thinks there will be a storm. It's engaging, involving and just brilliant writing. A tad long perhaps but the characters are so well written, you don't really mind.