Falkland Sound

I stand at my open window. I feel like I'm on the edge of reality.

April 1982. The Falkland Islands are invaded by Argentine forces. The shockwaves reverberate around the world. For some, it’s overdue: seen in the gradual sweep to decolonise the world it is thought of as an inevitable next step. For others, the act strikes at the very heart of British identity.

Falkland Sound tells the incredible story of a small community plunged into the middle of an international crisis. About half the size of Wales, populated by fewer than two thousand people, with conditions so hostile that trees struggle to grow, everyday life on these strange and beguiling islands is changed forever as two powerful nations fight for the right to claim sovereignty.

Brad Birch’s lyrical new play turns modern history into a theatrical epic, depicting a community and way of life turned upside down. Falkland Sound is a play about empire, community, and what it means to live in someone else’s metaphor. This edition published to coincide with the world premiere at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon in August 2023.