Writer and performer Ed Saunders-Lee presents the remarkable untold true story of his step-grandfather, Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent John Cox MC in the charming solo show, I Am Yours Sincerely, at theSpace Triplex.
It is the charm of his storytelling that makes this a moving and endearing production
SOE was known as ‘Churchill’s Secret Army’ or ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ whose members conducted covert operations behind enemy lines. Cox, a member of the renowned Jedburgh team, parachuted into enemy territory to collaborate with local resistance groups, carrying out reconnaissance and espionage missions under the motto “Surprise, Kill, Vanish”.
This compelling one-man play chronicles Cox’s journey from a university student to war hero, complete with daring escapades under the constant fear of being discovered. A contrasting parallel saga tells of how he found love in the midst of the dangers that surrounded him. The script incorporates Cox’s own words from interviews, memoirs, and letters he wrote during his service, which he always signing them off with the respectful line, ‘I am your sincerely.’
Saunders-Lee, a recent graduate of the Guildford School of Acting, embarked on writing this piece as a tribute to his step-grandfather. He carried out extensive historical research with visits to museum exhibitions, exploration of the SOE archives and extensive background reading.
It’s a highly informative memoir. Accuracy and attention to detail shine through the play, but it is the charm of his storytelling that makes this a moving and endearing production. He knows how to engage with his audience by deploying looks, a smile and even tears. His eyes penetrate and he breaks up the narrative with well-timed pauses and changes of mood and tempo along with sequences of movement and physicality.
I Am Yours Sincerely is a fitting tribute to his brave relative and his comrades in SOE that is also filled with hope for a more peaceful future thanks to thier service and sacrifice.
