A Question of Duty premieres at Watersmeet

Play features the grandfather of local café owner

A two-act play, which tells the story of General Eisenhower’s private train in World War Two, and features the grandfather of a Rickmansworth café owner had its premiere in the town on Friday 25July.

The premiere at the Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth saw a standing ovation for the actors and for playwright Gary Tippings, writer and producer of ‘A Question of Duty’ which is his first stage play.

It tells the story of the relationship between General Eisenhower, Sgt Albert Phillips who ran the train and Kay Summersby, Eisenhower’s aide.

Summersby and Eisenhower had an extremely close relationship as witnessed by Albert. Some have suggested a sexual relationship between the two, although people who knew both of them at the time have rejected that claim, as have most of Eisenhower's biographers.

Keith Joyce, (54) the owner of Katie’s Café at Rickmansworth station, which serves hundreds of passengers every day, spent years researching the life of his late Grandfather Albert, and Kay, who were both permanently assigned to the General’s mobile command train as it crossed the UK and Europe.

Looking through family archives, Keith realised that there was an amazing story to be told about Albert and his close relationship with Eisenhower, which had been hidden due to the secret nature of the operation. And that this story would make a great film and play.

Set in December 1944, ‘A Question of Duty’ takes place aboard General Eisenhower’s mobile command train in the build-up to the final stages of World War II. The play follows a critical 24-hour period as Eisenhower prepares for the next stage of the Allied advance, and responds to growing tensions with the Soviet Union. He is joined by Field Marshal Brooke, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff; Colonel Gault, a formal and rigid British Colonel; Kay Summersby, and Albert Phillips, the loyal British Sergeant assigned permanently to his secret train. 

Whilst military plans are debated, the characters engage in private conversations that reveal the personal pressures behind public decisions. Kay must navigate the expectations of a male-dominated hierarchy while managing Eisenhower’s household and his emotional state. The play explores themes of command, discretion, gender, and class. Based on real people and events, it offers a contained, dialogue-driven examination of wartime leadership, and the often-overlooked roles of those who supported it from behind the scenes.

Keith said: “The more that I found out about my grandfather, the more I realised that there was a fantastic story to be told about him and his relationship, not only with the supreme allied commander but also with his other staff who worked on the train.”

Proud of his grandfather and what he had found out Keith spoke to his commuter customers daily as they set out for work in London. One day, an encounter with one of them resulted in a call from playwright Gary Tippings.

Gary said: “I got a call from a friend who had met Keith in the café and who was enthused by the story Keith told him and by his enthusiasm to get it out. We met and the rest is history.”

Gary added: “‘A Question of Duty’ is one of those plays set during the war that really surprises people, because it's not about battles or politics. It's about people. It's set in one railway carriage, over the course of one night, and what makes it so powerful is how much happens just in the conversations. There’s humour, warmth, moments of deep feeling; but all delivered in a very natural, often funny, and very relatable way, or so people tell me! You don't need to be a history buff or regular theatre-goer to enjoy this. If you've ever sat up late talking to someone, and suddenly found yourself saying things you didn't expect, you'll get this play.”

Gary said: “We’ve deliberately kept the production simple and intimate; no flashy staging, just really strong performances and a story that draws you in. We want people to feel like they're right there in the room with the characters. So, if you've never been to a play before, or think ‘serious’ theatre might not be your thing, this is actually the perfect one to try. It's not about big drama; it's about real people in a moment of change. And I promise - you'll leave, and still be thinking about it for a while.”

Keith said: “Gary has done a superb job in putting this play together and we are hoping that it will lead to other things happening in the future. The fact that it debuted in Rickmansworth is tremendous and Gary has plans to move it around the country.”

Gary said: “Rickmansworth is just the start, but it was fitting that it started in the town where Keith lives and where he carried out all the research.”

Talks are underway about a major film and a book about Albert and the train.