The Rear Column

The slow descent into madness of a group of British Army officers abandoned in the Congo.

The Rear Column — Plot

Set in the jungle of the Congo Free State in 1887–88, the story begins after explorer Henry Morton Stanley, has gone to relieve Emin Pasha, governor of Equatoria, from a siege by Mahdist forces. He leaves behind him a 'rear column' with supplies at the Yambuya camp on the Aruwimi River and instructs them to wait until the Arab slave trader, Tippu Tib, has brought 600 more porters before following on to Equatoria. The play follows the story of the men left waiting in the camp. The officers depicted in the play are based on historical figures.

• Release date
• October 1, 1980
• Runtime
• 207 min
• Director
• Harold Pinter

The Rear Column — Cast

J

John Horton Jameson

M

Michael Forrest Stanley Alrick Riley Boy

S

Sylvester Williams John Henry Simon Ward Ward Barry Foster Barttelot Donald Gee Bonny Clive Francis Troup