Pipson and Me

Pipson and Me was a stage play, produced in 2003

It starred Dave Gibson as the characters of Pipson and also Me.

It opened to rave reviews in London, with critics calling it "The best depiction of war-time madness yet".

Synopsis
It is 1919, in the trenches of France during WWI, private Pipson is busy doing his duty for queen and country. Depressed by the ravages of war, he confides in the character called "Me". They share stories of home and life and love.

For Pipson this is somewhat theraputic and a welcome relief from the bloody battles fought almost daily.

As time passes he becomes distant from his comrades, only interested in remembering things now passed.

Eventually it is discovered that he is alone; there is no "Me" and he realises, much to his horror, that he stands in his bunker with the dead bodies of his platoon buddies strewn across the floor. He had created the character of "Me" in order to block out the horrors of WWI, and to try and keep himself sane. It had the reverse effect, and he finally decends into full blown madness, french kissing the corpses on the floor.

The final words spoken during the play are, "I'm a man, I'm a mess" as Pipson looks at the audience wearing his friend's head on his head as a hat.

Reception
Pipson and Me was an instant success. It broke all box office records for opening day takings. The inital run of 25 weeks was extended to 26 due to popular demand.

Dave Gibson was nominated for seven Showcase awards in 2003, winning Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

Sequel
A follow up to Pipson and Me was written in 2005, called Pipson and I, but as yet this has not gone into production. The media reported that due to serious health concerns, Dave Gibson may be unwilling to perform on stage anymore.