“Shocking but darkly enjoyable!
Drama came with a vengeance
to Coventry as new hard hitting &
powerful drama written and directed by
Richard Morelli hits the stage/screen. Act one
introduces us to Vinnie (Peter Daly-Dickson) a war
veteran suffering from post- traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). His portrayal of this traumatised & paranoid old
man was outstanding & just watching him struggling wordlessly
to move about his house seemed to stun the audience into silence.
I think everyone was holding their breath as he shuffled around, on
the verge of collapse, trying to cope with life while the ominous rumble of
a storm & fireworks outside were, in his head, explosions from the battlefield.
Not giving away any spoilers but circumstances of that night result in him taking
a young man hostage. The hapless individual was James, (Daniel Peckett) innocently
knocking on doors to spread God’s word. From this moment we see a more dangerous
and violent side to Vinnie, and a very intense and moving performance from Daniel
Peckett who is terrified not only for his own life, but the life of his captor.
For the duration of act one, apart from a few nervous laughs
at moments where flashes of dark humour seep through,
you could have heard a pin drop in that audience.
It was incredibly tense, very atmospheric and at times
quite sinister; and you really feared for what might happen next.
It’s extremely violent, there’s strong adult language, there are scenes that
shock and could distress people, and while there isn’t any nudity, we do have
Vinnie performing the whole of act one and some of act two in his underpants.
- Ann Evans: (Elementary Whatson)
Winged Daggers focusses on Vinnie, a retired SAS operator with CPTSD
whose behaviour impacts those around him in the most devastating ways. From
training a child soldier in his ground floor flat, to taking preachers hostage –
Vinnie’s antics are shockingly calculated, chaotic and disturbing.
A high-voltage romp for the whole dysfunctional family.
COMMENTARIES
THEMES
The battlefield of parenting,
The two-step flow nature of trauma,
Challenging traditional gender roles,
Militarising children in the first world,
The true reality of Complex Post Traumatic Stress,
The ethical implications of private military companies,
The results of a lack of government funded veteran support
Death/Mortality & Loss
Isolation & Loneliness
The Power of Faith
The Effects of War
Loss of Innocence
Suffering/Suicide
Abuse of Power
Mental Illness
Family
Realism
Morality
Heroism
Violence
Man vs Self
Good vs Evil
Perseverance
THE PLAN
Shoot a feature film in a day and a half for under £3000 & then run it as a play immediately after... for a week.
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Here's the formula for those wanting to try this at home ^
Vinnie's CPTSD impacts all those around him in disturbing ways, especially Louisa - a broken young girl
remoulded by Vinnie into an elite solider. The film opens two decades after Louisa has severed ties
with Vinnie, whose isolation has exacerbated his condition. So much so that he takes an
unassuming, young preacher hostage on the night he plans to ‘clock out early’.
From the militarisation of children in the first world; to the true reality of
complex post-traumatic stress - Winged Daggers is a film that truly cuts deep.
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“I loved the people and play-building process of The Saints so much that I was thrilled at the prospect of dipping my toes further into a medium I‘d six
months ago had otherwise no interest in. Directing a play didn’t
seem entirely removed from my world of film and TV,
with many processes being 1:1.
Plus, Mark’s from both worlds; what other
ideal mentor to facilitate my thoughts on the
stage could be asked for? But it only occurred to me
once I started polishing up the second or third draft... This is
feature length... It’s all one location orienting four characters over
the course of twenty-five years... This is a realistically executable feature film!”
- Richard Morelli: (Writer/Director)
