It’s believed to be one of the only plays ever written by a serving soldier, something that was a huge motivator for Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Johnston as he wrote the fictional account from his time in Afghanistan.

Also a veteran of the Iraq conflict, Johnston hopes that experience brings an air of authenticity to the play, which is important when most theatrical accounts of Australian soldiers are rooted in conflicts from decades ago, such as Gallipoli.

“Unfortunately, really after the Second World War not much is known about any of the conflicts that the Australian Army’s been involved in,” Johnston said.

“I think that when contemporary Australians think about war, they think of it through the creative lens of those movies or books or mythology that we’re very familiar with, that is a 100 years old.

“I remember when I came back from Iraq, my Aunt asked me if they still bring hot food up to us in the trenches. And it’s that kind of dissonance and distance that I’m trying to address through the play.”

While First Casualty is an imagined account of soldiers on a remote patrol base in southern Afghanistan, it’s based on Johnston’s authentic experience and those of his colleagues, casting light on a largely misunderstood story that is rarely seen on the Australian stage.

Johnston hopes by seeing the complexities of what soldiers went through, Australians can also come to terms with the country’s legacy from the conflict.

“I think it’s because personal lived experience, particularly among hard men, it’s impossible to hit it with a straight shot,” he said.

“If you can tackle it through fiction, which is very close to the truth and is evocative of their personal experience, then that provides a catalyst, a creative catalyst for them to debate, to argue its merits. `Was this true, was it not?” “Did this resonate with your own experience?’
“These are the sorts of questions that the play is prompting. And that, for me, is one of the most satisfying and important aspects of this production.”

First Casualty features an ensemble cast of characters led by Captain Trent Kelly, following the soldiers over two days as they grapple with Afghan troops, Taliban insurgents, and a colourful local warlord.

Johnston said the play portrays a pivotal turning point in what became “our longest war”.

“I think one of the key organisational lessons for us, for the Australian Army in Afghanistan, is that we didn’t bring the public along with us – we didn’t make the Australian public part of the journey.” he said.

“And partly that’s because the Army has become so distant from the Australian public, I think, geographically and culturally. But I think it’s also because we should have done more.

“It’s certainly evolved over the time that I’ve been working on it. And the world has changed around the play. When I first wrote it, we were still very much involved in Afghanistan. And I think the play anticipated a number of the tragedies that would ultimately occur during the conduct of that campaign.

“Whereas the play might have been seen as pressing in toward almost inconceivable five or six years ago, I think now it’s perhaps a little more explanatory and insightful…To shed light, help shed light on aspects of the conflict that would otherwise might seem inexplicable.”

While Johnston still doesn’t see himself as a playwright, he realises his family background in theatre gave him a useful perspective to bring this untold story to a broader audience.

“We’ve been looking into this and to our knowledge, this is actually the first play written about war by a serving soldier or veteran that’s proceeded to a main stage production anywhere in the English speaking world,” he said.

“The play was in part encouraged by another play I saw – a wonderful play in Washington D.C. called the Black Watch, which was written by a Scottish playwright about The Black Watch regiment in Iraq around 2005,” he said.

“And he based the play largely on interviews from returning soldiers – it was mainly about their homecoming. I thought it was an excellent play. I had some issues with it, that prompted me to tackle the art form myself.

“I think theatre is a uniquely powerful and evocative experience. It’s the last place we can get together as a community to experience complex, competing points of view in a way that’s very powerful.

“I’ve studied ancient Greek all my life. In ancient Greek society in Athens, the amphitheatre was next to the hospital. It was right at the centre of public life. And it was where the great soldiers, many of whom were playwrights like Sophocles, who was a general and a playwright, would debate the great issues of their time and explore them through poetry and music.

“It is an ancient, powerful and evocative art form.”

Queensland Theatre’s Artistic Director Lee Lewis has championed the play since it first came across her desk as part of submissions for the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award more than five years ago.

“To see this story live onstage and not in a film will be a revelation for audiences”, Lewis said.

“We are so used to hearing our military history told by the British or the Americans in tv and film. To see the story of our soldiers, in their own voices will allow us to understand better our place in world military history.”

Johnston has continued to serve while the play was in development, and amidst the swirl of excitement around the world premiere and possibilities of touring, is deep in intensive Japanese language training as he prepares for a new secondment to Tokyo.

“The play is – it’s a wonderful pursuit, but it’s not my career as such. So I’ve been chipping away the play for a long time, but I’ve also been busy doing other things,” he said.

Lee Lewis has openly spoken of her hopes to tour the production overseas once this season is over, but Johnston’s hopes for now are focussed much more locally.

“It’s been a wonderful collaboration and I hope that it does have a life beyond this Brisbane run. She’s anxious to tour it to Sydney and Melbourne and overseas. I’m keen to get it up to Darwin and Townsville,” he said.

“I’m keen for new audience members to come. I would like to see soldiers and veterans and their family, people that wouldn’t ordinarily come to the theatre.

“I’m really trying to encourage those families to come along. I think that for me would be the most important thing.

“We’ve had many Afghan veterans, and Vietnam veterans too, in the audience, both as my guests, but also as paying members of the public at the first two previews. And it’s had an extraordinary impact on them, a very positive impact.

“They’ve come back to me and they’ve said this has prompted the most wonderful conversations. Challenging conversations, but it’s really encouraged them to connect their family with their experience and to discuss it in a way that hasn’t been possible before.”