The lives of soldiers returning from Afghanistan is examined in a new play which comes to the Oxford Playhouse this week. 
One of its stars, Dan Krikler, tells us about this hard-hitting but critically acclaimed production which shines fresh light on the emotional scars of war

IT’s the role of a lifetime for Dan Krikler, the lead in a ground breaking new drama Pink Mist, selling out everywhere it opens and taking theatreland by storm.

"It was an absolute dream to get this part because it's such an incredible play and has really pushed me."

Playing the lead, Arthur Brown - a driver at Portbury Docks in Bristol - who enlists in the army with two mates, gets sent to war, and falls apart on their return, Dan could scarcely believe his luck.

“Arthur is in a dead end job parking cars which is pretty soul destroying. He is bored and hasn’t seen much of life.

“But it could have been anyone signing up and I get why they did because there is such a great comraderie in the army.

Written by Owen Shears who based his book on 30 hours of interviews with ex-servicemen, Dan says: “It’s such an amazing script and so well crafted. There are very few scripts that you read and think ‘this is amazing’ but Pink Mist was one of them. It really is incredible and paints so many pictures, which is a great testament to the producer’s vision.”

Combining dubstep music, movement and verse to tell the tale, Dan says: "it’s very much about working class guys, real people struggling from day-to-day. It's such a contemporary piece and so energetic, so unexpected.

"And you really go there with them so it does get to you, the effect the war it all on them, “because they lose limbs and get shot at by drones. It’s pretty intense," he explains.

"In some of the interviews, the recruits say they would have done it all over again regardless of what happened to them as a result,” the 26 year-old from Coventry says, "so we try to get that across. It’s not preachy, even though it teaches you a lot at the same time. So while it is anti-war it’s also about how the army saves Arthur in some ways."

But for Dan, it's more than just a story: “Pink Mist opens your eyes as well, it's more than entertainment, its about connecting with the audience and moving people, and that’s what’s comes across the most. It is an entirely physical and emotional play."

So how did he win the part? "I met the directors at the auditions and we got on pretty well. Then I was introduced to Arthur’s girlfriend Gwen, played by Rebecca Hamilton, to make sure there was a great chemistry between us, and they offered me the role

And was it hard to make his own? "Arthur tells a lot of the story, so has to be a likeable character, but Pink Mist has such depth to it that there aren’t huge amounts to fill in.”

How did Dan prepare for such a harrowing role? "I watched a lot of films and documentaries on the war in Afghanistan until I got to to a point where I just had to run with it, because the detail is in the text."

So how is he finding the tour?

“For me it’s an absolute dream of a job, getting a part like this which has so much to say. It really pushes me and has been an amazing experience so far. Its very exciting. So I can’t wait to bring Pink Mist to Oxford for a whole new audience.

"But as we are all on stage throughout the play, I do tend to spend my days off asleep,” he laughs.

Pink Mist is at the Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford, from Tuesday to Saturday

Call 01865 310305 or go to oxfordplayhouse.com