World War I Plays To Receive First Revival
In association with Twisted Events Theatre Company, the University of Hertfordshire presents the first professional revival of the World War I plays ‘For My Country’ by Berte Thomas (1917) and ‘The Pacifist’ by John Brandon (1918).
These short plays, which have not been seen since they were first performed in London theatres during the First World War, will re-introduce the audience to a missing dimension of life on the Home Front.
The production is part of the project Staging World War I, run from the School of Humanities at the University of Hertfordshire. Led by Dr Andrew Maunder, the project will take forgotten World War I plays into schools and the local community.
Dr Andrew Maunder said: “We tend to forget that in 1914-18 more people went to the theatre than read poetry but it’s the poetry which has been remembered. The plays, though, give us a real sense of how the War was presented to people and the issues at stake. They’re powerful pieces of theatre designed to move an audience but also to scare them, exploiting fears about spies, traitors and the enemy within.”
Brought back to life as the centenary of the War approaches, the plays offer another perspective on the War to that of well-known poets such as Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen.
The plays, to be performed at 7.30pm on Saturday 4 August, will be staged against the historic backdrop of Newhaven Fort in East Sussex, which has a long association with World War I.
Tickets cost £4.00 (£3.00 concessions) and are available from the Newhaven Fort box office, via telephone number 01273 517622. The Searchlight Cafe will be open to provide drinks and light refreshments.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Emily Iversen, University of Hertfordshire Press Office on 01707 285163, Email: e.iversen@herts.ac.uk
Notes to Editor
About the University of Hertfordshire
- The University is the UK’s leading business-facing university and an exemplar in the sector. It is innovative and enterprising and challenges individuals and organisations to excel.
- The University of Hertfordshire is one of the region’s largest employers with over 2,300 staff and a turnover of almost £231 million.
- With a student community of over 27,700 including more than 2,900 international students from over eighty-five different countries, the University has a global network of over 170,000 alumni.
- The University of Hertfordshire was awarded ‘Entrepreneurial University of the Year 2010’ by the Times Higher Education (THE) and ranks in the top 4% of all universities in the world according to the recent THE, World University Rankings.
- Did you know? Our students have worked on the special effects in Harry Potter, Clash of the Titans 2, X Men and Captain America. – We are creative.
- For more information, please visit www.herts.ac.uk
About Twisted Events
- Ben Cooper and Janet Rawson set up Twisted Events Presents to produce tailor-made, professional theatrical events to bring fun and sparkle to the thoughts, themes and ideas of their clients.
- Their combined professional backgrounds cover producing, directing, acting and writing for theatre, arts and the media.
- For more information, please visit www.twistedeventspresents.co.uk
About Newhaven Fort
- For more information, please visit www.newhavenfort.org.uk
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