Soldier Boy is the story of the youngest Australian known to have died in World War I. James Charles Martin was only 14 years and nine months old when he succumbed to typhoid (after serving for only seven weeks) during the Gallipoli campaign. He was one of 20 Australian soldiers under the age of 18 known to have died in this war.
Written and adapted from his own award-winning novel, audiences will be able to see Anthony Hill’s gripping and gutsy tale this June and July at Theatre Works.
Directed by critically regarded gay Asian Australian director and theatre maker, Beng Oh, Soldier Boy guarantees an evening of riveting and powerful theatre.
For Oh, the true story of James Martin’s short life is compelling.
“I can understand that patriotic fervour and a longing for adventure may tempt a young lad to lie about his age and sign up to go to war,” says Oh, about Martin’s enlistment. “Nevertheless, the fact that he never resiled from his decision, even though it ultimately cost him his life, is remarkable. At any moment all he ever had to do was tell the truth, say that he was 14, and he would have been immediately sent home to safety from the front lines, yet he never did.”
Oh first became aware of Martin’s story when he saw an early version of the script during development. “A few years ago, Laura Hill – a friend and colleague, brought it to the attention of Jane Miller and myself,” explains Oh. “Jane’s a playwright and my close collaborator. We have an independent theatre company, 15 Minutes from Anywhere, and have worked together for a long time. We’ve also worked with Laura before. She’s a wonderful actor and a cousin of Anthony Hill, the author and playwright of Soldier Boy. We met Tony and gave him some feedback about his play I then lost track of it but was very pleased to be asked to direct it.”
Hill has since ended up in the cast for this production, playing Amelia, Martin’s mother.
Anthony Hill has also been a constant in the rehearsal room from day one with Hill and Oh working very closely together. “Tony has been an invaluable resource, says Oh, “As a playwright, journalist and author of the book on which Soldier Boy is based, he has a deep knowledge of Jim, his family, and the historical events of the play. He also very kindly made his research material available to us, and in so doing, helped bring the world of the play to life.”
Bridging history and the present, Soldier Boy follows Martin from Melbourne to the battle fields of Gallipoli, immortalising his life in his final hour. It explores the reasons why Martin was called to war and invites audiences to ponder the meaning of his death. Oh explains that it also looks at the close bond between mother and son, which was nevertheless not sufficient to stop him from signing up.
“Even though by and large in Australia we’ve been living in a period of peace, on the world stage war and conflict is ever present,” says Oh. “Because of that Jim’s story still resonates today. Jim was born two days after the federation of Australia and was only 14 when he died. In my mind he was a sacrificial lamb. What then was the value of his sacrifice and his suffering?”
Set 110 years ago, Oh acknowledges that it is always challenging doing a period piece.
“It’s not just about costuming and design, it’s also about looking at the past through contemporary eyes and, in effect, imposing our own values on a different time. There’s a balance that needs to be struck.”
Oh has also chosen not to go down the path of naturalism and documentary theatre. Instead, this production is very much built around Martin’s end of life visions. “It opens up opportunities but also throws up staging challenges,” says Oh.
Oh is quick to acknowledge that he is lucky to be working with a talented team and rehearsals have been a pleasure. “They’ve been creative, playful and satisfying. We’ve also managed to find light and humour within a serious story.”
Oh trained at the VCA and is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab in NYC. He is also co-artistic director of 15 Minutes from Anywhere, is on the committee of management for La Mama Theatre and is an associate of Contemporary Asian Australian Performance. Oh has staged a wide range of productions and is passionate about diversity, new work and queer theatre
As a creative, he likes using comedy as a tool to explore serious topics, not to make light of them, but because they are serious and important. “Humour is engaging and disarming but can also shine a light on big issues to make us look at them in a different way or appreciate things differently.”
Oh believes in theatre that is entertaining and thoughtful. “I like to be surprised, and to see things unfold in unexpected ways. The stories that resonate with me are often of outsiders.”
Soldier Boy is included in the 2025 VCE Theatre Studies Playlist thus solidifying the production as a must-see for students and educators – it’s a vital way to connect with the next generation of artists and audiences by bringing schools into the theatre.
A powerful examination of Martin’s choice to serve, his legacy, and the loved ones he left behind, this visually and emotionally charged production is an ever-evolving landscape of memory and reality, illuminating the stark contrast between the innocence of youth and the brutal realities of war.
Says Oh, “Soldier Boy is a war play, but not as you imagine it. There are no feats of heroism or stirring charges over the top to a loud soundtrack. It has a human scale. It does not shrink from suffering but there’s love and humour and it unfolds in unexpected ways. It stays true to Jim’s story and is all the better for it.”
June 19 – July 5
www.theatreworks.org.au/2025/soldier-boy
