As the stage lights flick on and off to separate each scene of PVT Wars, we capture a glimpse of the mundane activities and conversations of three Vietnam War veterans recovering in hospital.

On the outside world, they wouldn’t have been friends, but circumstance has bought them together and their friendship is marked by satire, violence and a desire to get better rather than die or rot in hospital.

Gately, the most personable character, frustratingly slowly attempts to fix a radio piece by piece. 

But it seems his physical task also plays an important part in his mental psyche: ‘If a guy like me can make a radio work than the whole of America will work.’

Setting about this task helps restore Gately’s own mind as each screw, nut and bolt restored to the radio makes him believe he’s one step closer to helping America too.

But his colleagues Natwick and Silvio don’t lend themselves to helping him; each pockets different essential parts making it nearly impossible for Gately to accomplish his important job.

Somehow as the three men celebrate Silvio’s impending release back home, Gately pushes the switch and the radio starts playing music.

Silvio is the Italian Catholic predator going around the hospital wards flashing the nurses.

He’s arrogant, cocky and torments Natwick. But we see his vulnerable side as he relates his concerns to Gately about wearing floppy underwear and kilts for better sperm count.

While the bravado and bragging underlies his character, we later learn shrapnel blew off his penis and testacles so in reality, he’s all talk and no action. 

Natwick is the thinker out of the trio. From a privileged background, he’s intelligent and sensitive, often heard reciting poetry.

While his family had high hopes for his career, he feels a failure in hospital and attempts a suicide bid as ‘when you’re rich you only have one way to go; down’.

Despite his wealth and intelligence, in hospital with the other men, he’s an equal in every sense and he’s seen as nothing more than an ‘asshole’. His recital of TS Eliot’s ‘peach on a beach’ may have been applauded back home, but here, it’s laughed at.

PVT Wars, a Bare Bones project, written by James McLure and directed by Naomi Wirthner is about fighting your own wars rather than interfering in others. Each character is fighting their own personal battle as well as helping others to fight their own demons. Slow in pace and filled with ramblings from each man, PVT Wars at The Space, gives an insight into the state of mind of soldiers following every war, not just Vietnam.

Gary Wright who played Gately portrayed him with a real sense of compulsion with just the right expressions of confusion. But Jim Pople (Natwick) and Laurie Wilson (Silvio) played their parts with equal triumph too.