Wipers Times Key Quotes

Question 1

ROBERTS: ‘paper doesn’t offer much protection against crumps and whizz-bangs.’
PEARSON: ‘Unless you’re a red hat in HQ with a cushy job and then the paper stops you getting anywhere near the shooting gallery at all.’

Answer 1

Act 1, Scene 2

Question 2

HENDERSON: ‘What? Like the Daily Mail?’ ROBERTS: ‘No I was thinking of something rather more accurate.’

Answer 2

Act 1, Scene 2

Question 3

ROBERTS: ‘Optimism. Now there’s a dangerous thing. Particularly in a war. Jack- do you suffer from optimism?’

Answer 3

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 4

DOCTOR: ‘Do you consider our leaders are competent to conduct the war to a successful issue?’
PATIENT: ‘I should say so doctor.’
DOCTOR: ‘Oh dear this is the worst case of cheerfulness I’ve encountered.’

Answer 4

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 5

DOCTOR ‘don’t worry, I promise I can cure you of optimism within two days and effectively eradicate all traces of it from your system… it’s your orders. I’m sending you to the front line.’

Answer 5

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 6

ROBERTS: ‘Are you questioning the judgement of a superior officer, Pearson?… Good. Though, as a superior officer, of course I shall ignore you.’

Answer 6

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 7

ROBERTS: ‘How can you accuse me of going too far- when the entire 24th Division has gone precisely ten yards in the last six months?’
TYLER: ‘And that was sideways.’

Answer 7

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 8

ROBERTS: ‘We take this opportunity of stating that we accept not responsibility for the views expressed… and we dissociate ourselves from any statements in the advertisements.’

Answer 8

Act 1, Scene 3.
This is verbal irony

Question 9

ROBERTS (voiceover): ‘Are you having trouble getting home? Not any more with our fleet of handsomely appointed taxi cabs!’

Answer 9

Act 1, Scene 3.
This is a metaphor for soldiers purposefully getting injured to be sent home.

Question 10

PEARSON (voiceover): ‘No more nasty colds caught when cutting the wire! He’ll be absolutely delighted… Now you can rest assured your soldier friend will stay fit and healthy out in no man’s land!’

Answer 10

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 11

ROBERTS (voiceover): ‘Is your life miserable? Do you hate your company commander?’
SUBALTERN looks around shiftily to see if anyone is looking.
(voiceover): ‘Of course you do.’

Answer 11

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 12

PEARSON: ‘I think the sergeant means that we as officers would be a bit of a nuisance in the smooth running of the operation.’
ROBERTS: ‘So a bit like the war.’

Answer 12

Act 1, Scene 3

Question 13

PEARSON: ‘You can’t waste that. There’s a war going on.’
ROBERTS: ‘Is there? I had no idea.’

Answer 13

Act 1, Scene 4

Question 14

HOWFIELD: ‘It’s downright insubordination.’
MITFORD: ‘That may be why the men seem to like it.’

Answer 14

Act 1, Scene 5

Question 15

HOWFIELD: ‘downright treasonable…. whoever wrote this should be court martialled.’

Answer 15

Act 1, Scene 5

Question 16

MITFORD: ‘Perfectly sound advice.’

Answer 16

Act 1, Scene 5

Question 17

MITFORD: ‘It’s a joke.’
HOWFIELD: ‘It’s an incitement to mutiny. I’ll have him shot.’

Answer 17

Act 1, Scene 5

Question 18

HOWFIELD: ‘The war is not funny, sir.’
MITFORD: ‘I think the authors are aware of that. I’ve a feeling that may be the point. And it’s not all cocking a snook at the General Staff. Although admittedly quite a lot of it is. No, some of it is deadly serious. Words from the heart.’

Answer 18

Act 1, Scene 5

Question 19

ROBERTS: ‘Obsessed? I’m not obsessed! Don’t be ridiculous, Jack. I’m a model commanding officer executing my duties in exemplary fashion.’

Answer 19

Act 1, Scene 6

Question 20

PEARSON: ‘I think poetry is essential in the modern battlefield, sir. A bit like mud.’

Answer 20

Act 1, Scene 6

Question 21

ROBERTS: ‘That’s why I would rather think about the paper. It’s important to me because… it is not important.’

Answer 21

Act 1, Scene 6.
‘it is not important’ -> no contractions are used, as to emphasise the significance of this statement.

Question 22

MC: ‘welcome to the Cloth Hall at Ypres, the best ventilated hall in the town!’
We see famous black and white photo of destroyed Cloth Hall at Ypres.
MC: ‘The only venue where you can see all the stars.’

Answer 22

Act 1, Scene 7

Question 23

MC: ‘music by Mr R Tillery’
we see footage of British gun recoiling as it fires.

Answer 23

Act 1, Scene 7

Question 24

MC: ‘introducing the world’s favourite comedian Kaiser Bill…. and his Little Willie…’

Answer 24

Act 1, Scene 7