WATCH: The story of a baboon that served in WWI

Saturday 29 September 2018

There was once a baboon called Jackie that served in the trenches in World War I - it might sound like a work of fiction, but it's a true story being told in Jersey tonight.

Mascot for the third South African Infantry, 'Jackie the Baboon' is the focus of a new play by puppet masters 'Brunskill and Grimes'.

Commissioner by ArtHouse Jersey as part of the island's commemorations of the Great War, the innovative play will premiere at the Arts Centre at 18:00.

Ahead of the big showing, Express went to meet the puppet masters bringing Jackie's story to life...

Pictured: Andy Brunskill (right) working with the actors and Jackie.

“Jackie the Baboon gives a unique perspective on the experience of being in a war,” says Andy Brunskill. “He was taken from South Africa as a mascot for the unit. He got slightly famous because he could salute, light lighters and stand guard. He even learned marches. He lost a leg on the front and received a medal for his courage. We thought it was an extraordinary story. There is not so much written about South Africa in WWI and all stories are from the point of view of humans.”

"Our play is the story of Jackie’s journey as he went through military training and served on the Somme and the Passchendaele, ended up working for the Red Cross, lost a leg, and coming back to South Africa and becoming a citizen of South Africa," Andy explains. "It is trying to concentrate the experience of the First World War through an innocent creature who can’t say what they think." 

Some of the actors involved in the play didn't know Jackie's story and even thought it wasn't true, like James Backaway. He told Express: "I thought he was fictional when I first heard of the project. A baboon that goes to war? That sounds like a satirical piece or something and then you do your research and realise 'oh my god' that guy actually existed."

Pictured: Mei Mac, Andy Brunskill and James Backaway.

Mei Mac adds: "I didn’t know it was a true story at all. When I was doing my search I thought that’s amazing. It’s absolutely incredible."

Andy met Jimmy Grimes while working as Associate Director and Puppet Director of ‘War Horse’ in the West End. Since then, the pair has worked for venues and companies including The Young Vic, the Orange Tree, Theatre Royal Bath and Longleat Safari Park, always focusing on animals as the starting point. ‘Jackie the Baboon,’ which has been over two years in the making, is no exception.

“I write and direct and Jimmy directs the puppetry,” Andy explains. “The animal is always at the centre and it enables us to explore the outsiders’ point of view. I have always loved animal’s psychology and been interested in their welfare. Jimmy, as a puppet designer, has a lot of taste and sensibility and our inclinations aligned.

Andy and Jimmy wanted to flip the narrative and show Jackie’s point of view in this new play. All the scenes therefore revolve around him. “All he wants to do is be a monkey, but he is being manipulated by humans. He has no idea where he is. It’s a metaphor for the war, some of the soldiers in the trenches had no clue where they were.

“I always find it ludicrous how we praise bomb-sniffing dogs for their bravery. They only do what they were trained to do by someone they trust. The play is no propaganda, but we just want it to get people to consider the baboon like we should, or all animals in all walks of life.”

"It’s really interesting to see things from Jackie’s perspective because war itself, the fact it exists and the way it plays out is so horrifying," says Mei. "So to see it from this creature’s perspective is a really nice way to humanise and remember that these things are really awful."

Pictured: The cast of Jackie the Baboon with Andy Brunskill (right).

Andy and Jimmy spent two weeks working on the play at Grève de Lecq with the cast and crew. Tonight's "scratch" performance, which is scheduled as part of Jersey Festival of Words, will be followed by a Q&A with the full cast. It will be the first time the play is run in its entirety, but the public will not see the finished product, more tweaks and changes will come in the future. 

“We want to share where the process is now,” Andy said. “We are really keen to hear critical, interesting feedback and get specific questions from the public. We hope the performance will be a window into the creative process that you don’t normally get.”

Watch Express' video to learn more about Jackie the baboon and see what the cast has been up to this week...