The first Gulf war took place over several months in 1991 after Saddam Husain’s army invaded Kuwait to gain control of their oil fields.
The war appeared to have a surprisingly low casualty rate. During that time however the marines were exposed to multiple chemical toxins. The symptoms were said to have affected 1 in 3 of them soon after they returned home. These chronic symptoms include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems. This condition has been described as gulf war syndrome and nearly 30 years on there is still no clear cut answer to what caused it.
It is thought that it was the vaccines themselves that caused them to be ill. Veterans had the fear put in them that if they didn’t take these drugs the consequences for them would be worse. The drugs had not been FDA approved or field tested.
Jack Brett Anderson directs SYNDROME by Tina Jay at The Tristan Bates Theatre. Tina Jay’s powerful piece does not attempt to find answers to this mysterious syndrome. While it does not apportion blame to any one thing it certainly gives a lot of hints as to what caused it.
The play tells the story of four British marines, Deno (Kerim Hassan), Ray (Romario Simpson), Matt (Robert Wilde) and Gabe (Akshay Kumar) on combat duty in Saudi Arabia in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.
It is divided into two acts. The first act is set in a bunker in Saudi Arabia in 1991. The young British are waiting to move to the front while facing the feared release of chemical and biological weapons.
They play cards, talk women and sex to pass the time in the hot desert. Often reference is made to the burning fields in the distance. They relieve tension with friendly banter and a few scuffles which is generally brought under control by Matt the more senior ranking marine.
They are instructed to take a ‘protective’ barrage of vaccines, sprays and pills. At one point one of the marines’ refuses to take the tablets as they are upsetting his stomach but his comrades force him to take them.
The action in the first act then builds to a devastating discovery.
The second act takes place five years after the war when the guys are back home in England. Reunited once again, they are no longer the carefree lads they once were. They are clearly still suffering from the after effects of this short war. Their bodies debilitated, their minds changed forever as they face a grim future as a consequence of what they endured from their short tour in the Gulf.
Syndrome runs from 18th – 29th February 2020 at The Tristan Bates Theatre.
