A School Play About War, Regret, and Everything in Between
A School Play About War, Regret, and Everything in Between
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Recently our Drama club managed to achieve something pretty impressive with their play, “The Aftermath”: telling a heavy and emotional story about war and its consequences while still feeling personal, creative and even a bit chaotic in the best way possible.
At the center of the play are two injured soldiers from different sides, both stuck in no man’s land. As they lie there, they reflect on their lives–how they ended up there, and what they’ll do once they get back. One thinks back on his family–of his mother, who he left behind despite her retaliation at his choice, in a home already affected by an absent father. The other soldier (the blue soldier) remembered a different struggle: being pushed into the military by his general father, even though he really wanted to pursue art. He ended up having to leave behind his partner, Nicole, who is later revealed to be pregnant.
This play doesn't just tell a story about war, it explores the lives around it. The choices that lead to it and the regrets that will follow.
Confusing at times (but in a way that works)
From the start, the play was slightly disorienting. Between shifting timelines, characters appearing in different roles and even some uncertainty about accents, it wasn’t always easy to follow exactly what was happening.
But weirdly enough, that didn’t ruin it–it kind of did the opposite. The confusion seemed to reflect the chaos of war and memory, even if it occasionally made things harder to track.
One moment that stood out the most was the death of the two soldiers. It came earlier than expected, cutting off any hope that things might turn out better. That sudden shift hit hard and reinforced the play’s message: war isn't heroic or simple–it's tragic and complicated.
From manga idea to full production
The play didn’t start as a play at all. It actually came from an old manga idea by Will, which later evolved into a script written by Hulda (with help from Armina). From there, it grew into a full production over the course of a few months, with lots of rewriting, adding scenes and collaboration along the way.
Some of the most interesting parts weren’t even in the original script. For example, the subplot with Clara’s unrequited feelings for Nicole (note, Clara and Nicole were the two friends from the blue soldier’s memory) was added later and ended up becoming a meaningful extra layer in the story.
Chaos behind the scenes
Like any production, things didn’t exactly go perfectly.
There were struggles with memorizing lines, last minute changes (like switching roles just two weeks before the performance) and even discussions about moving the performance date entirely.
And the performance itself? Chaos followed them there too.
At one point, a hairpiece started falling apart mid-performance, leading to a rushed fix backstage; whereas other changes happened on stage, lines were adjusted in real time to keep scenes flowing and minor tweaks were made to the characters' behaviours. There were possibilities for it to go very wrong. However, it instead showed how well the group handled the pressure.
A team effort
One thing that really stood out from the cast’s reflections was how much they appreciated each other.
There was a lot of pride–not just in individual performances but in everyone stepping up. From managing nerves, to learning lines under pressure, to organising props and costumes, it was clear this was a group effort.
It also sounds like the experience went beyond the rehearsals and the performance itself. The cast has stated this experience has gotten them closer to each other.
So what was the message?
While the play clearly shows the horrors of war, the message goes a bit deeper than that.
It’s about regret. About not saying things in time. About choosing paths that don't align with what you really want. And most importantly, about valuing the people in your life before it's too late.
”We want to inspire the audience to take these examples, to not end up like the soldiers, who had their last moments in regret” expressed one of the crew.
Now for some lighthearted Q&A with the cast!
Of course not everything about the production has to be intense and emotional. Behind the scenes, the cast had plenty of fun–and that energy has definitely carried into the final performance. So, here’s a bit of Q&A!
When asked to describe the play in just one word, the answers were surprisingly thoughtful: ”Hope” and “Interpersonal.” Even in a story centered around war, those ideas clearly stuck with the people who brought it to life.
At the same time, there was a whole layer of the experience the audience never got to see. According to the cast, the script ended up creating a huge number of inside jokes. So many that certain lines now trigger automatic reactions and references in everyday conversations.
And now for some more…questionable questions.
In a more joking mode, the cast reflected on things like dancing skills (described confidently as “excellent”..then immediately taken back), secret ingredients (apparently cinnamon is essential) and even in character family dynamics–which to say the least are far from ideal.
Some fully leaned into the humor of the play’s world, with exaggerated complaints about parenting, food and daily life, while others added more creative touches like ties decorated with cinnamon buns and bumblebees.
It’s this mix of seriousness and humor that defines this group. While the play itself explored heavy themes like war and regret, the people behind it clearly enjoyed the process–building something that was not only meaningful but also genuinely fun to be part of.
A final thought
The play wasn’t perfect–at times it was confusing, and the structure could’ve been clearer. But in all honesty, that didn’t take away from the play, nor from what it did well.
It was emotional, original and full of effort from everyone involved. Considering the students balanced their school life and studied on top of this production, it left a surprisingly strong impact.
At the end of the day it is the kind of play that sticks with you–not because it was perfect, but because it had something real to say.
Writer: Sham
Designer: Nived
Editor: Emily
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