then and now stories1 1 then and now stories scene 1 screen with slideshow of images of young...

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Then and Now Stories

Scene 1

Screen with slideshow of images of young hopefuls – photographs of people before the war

or in uniform as they are about to go off for the first time.

DSL 2 children (Players 13 and 14)enter, swap jumpers / tops, sit and play a game of chess in

silence; they represent the cousin princes as children and swapping an item of clothing

represents the photograph in the National Portrait Gallery where they wear each other’s

uniforms a few months before the start of war. (This could alternatively be done on a

screen.) CS, 8 of the players freeze in the form of a memorial, whilst four others pose as

onlookers; one by one players step out of the formation.

Player 1 (Steps out of onlookers) We knew lots of facts and figures like ten million

combatants died.

Player 2 (Steps out of onlookers) And 60, 000 died on the first day of the Battle of the

Somme.

Player 1 But we were more interested in them, the individuals.

Player 2 The real people, the dads and mums and grandmas and granddads.

Player 1 And great granddads.

Player 2 And great grandmas.

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Player 1 And great-great granddads.

Player 2 And great-great grandmas.

Player 1 And great-great-great granddads.

Player 2 And great-great-great grandmas, and-

Player 1 All of them. (Indicates memorial freeze frame) On the memorial.

Player 2 And the others, the ones who came back.

Player 1 And the ones who didn’t go to fight, but whose lives were changed by the

Great War nevertheless.

Player 2 We knew they must have been just like us from the photographs you gave us,

but we didn’t know what they’d said.

Player 2 We didn’t have their actual words.

Player 1 At the moment, you know, before they left.

Player 2 But we did know things about them from Sidney Richardson’s records.

Player 1 And from the stories you told us.

Player 2 And we knew about other people like them.

Player 1 From the diaries on worldwar1.com and the interviews with those affected

recorded by the BBC fifty years later.

Player 2 So we imagined…

Player 1 …what they might’ve said.

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(Some or all of the following statements could be played as short scenes

rather than short monologues)

Player 3 (Steps out of memorial) Looking forward to seeing the world, I am. Never

been on a big ship, not once. I was going to join the Merchant Navy but this is

even better. They say we might get to Malta or Mesopotamia or even as far

Russia. I can’t wait.

Player 4 (Steps out of the memorial) I think – I think it’ll be like Scout Camp with

everyone friendly and with a sense of adventure and food that’s even more

tasty for being cooked out of doors.

Player 5 (Steps out of the memorial) It’s seven shillings a week which is better than I

get catching moles, which of course is seasonal, so it’s an opportunity, isn’t

it? And you get your meals, which is one less mouth to feed at home.

Player 6 (Steps out of memorial) The vicar says it’s the right thing to do; he says, ‘Fight

the good fight’; he says it’s like the atonement, you know in the Bible when

Jesus died for us, that was atonement. ‘There can be no atonement without

blood,’ that’s what the vicar says, and he’s quoting from the Bible when he

says that. The Great War; the Great Atonement; got a ring to it, hasn’t it? He

says God’s on our side but not on the Germans’.

Player 7 (Steps out of the memorial) A woman gives me a white feather as I walk

down Salt Pie Lane. I don’t know what it’s for at first. Then a boy who’s sat on

a step makes a chicken noise and his pal shouts, ‘Coward’, and then I know.

I haven’t signed up because, because well, I know what’s happening to lads

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like me. My brother went off to the Boer and he never came back, and my

mum’s heart was broke. Why should we go, why would we give up our

lives? I throw the feather down on the street but it never leaves me.

Player 8 (Steps out of the memorial) His Lordship takes us into his drawing room, that

posh one none of us has been in before. We don’t know what to do about us

boots which are covered in mud from the garden. Alfred starts to take his off

and so the rest of us does the same. There’s a whole line of us boots beside

the window, off the carpet, like. Standing there in my stocking feet I feel

naked. I don’t know why His Lordship’s brought us here; he’s never done it

before. Then, one by one, he looks all of us in the eyes and says as how our

jobs will be safe when we come back in a few months’ time. He says our

country needs us, civilization needs us, says the Germans are planning to

come across the Channel for our wives, kids, sisters and mothers, and that

we’ll be heroes when we come back. He says old Alfred can manage by

himself until Christmas when there’s not much growing, and all us under-

gardeners, we know we have no choice… the poor house dun’t accept a man

of fighting age.

Player 9 (Steps out of the memorial) I’m studying to be a teacher. My dad he’s a joiner

and so’s my older brother too, but me, well I wanted a bit more you might

say. My mam’s proud I know she is though she doesn’t say. I’m going to

teach Technical Education, so it is a bit like joinery really but with better pay,

and prospects. I’m going off with the college boys, we’ve all decided it’s our

duty. Our college principal talked to us about it but that’s not why we

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decided. He said when we come back we can finish our courses. They expect

it’ll be over soon and likely we’ll only miss a term. They need men like us.

Player 10 (Steps out of the onlookers) I’ve just won a race and I’m going to claim

my prize money when a young lad comes up to me. Asks if I’m Jonty. I

say, ‘yes’ and he says, Jonty Wilson?’ I nod. He’s more puffed out than I am

with the rush he’s taken to get to me. He says in bursts, ‘You’re called up, a-

and you’re to come now’. I says, ‘What about my prize money? It’s more than

a week’s wages.’ And my brother says, ‘Don’t worry; I’ll get it for you,’ and I

go.

Player 11 (Steps out of the onlookers) My son goes; he signs up, then my husband, he

gets called up; he’s fifty one.

Player 12 (Steps out of the onlookers) I’m a nurse. I work at Underley. The lady has

given the hall up for the wounded, which is very good of her. My two

brothers have gone and so I think, what else can I do? I walk there and back 3

miles every day, and every day the things I see, the state they bring the men

in, sometimes in the same clothes they had on the field all muddy and torn

and stuck to them in blood. It makes me think about my brothers and I

wonder if they’ll ever come back and what sort of state they might be in if

they do.

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Scene 2

6 players, in the role of soldier, go through a series of marching moves SR whilst SL 6 players

in the role of children perform / sing a round of ‘The Grand Ol’ Duke of York’. The ‘children’

are played with a naïve attitude and shouldn’t be very familiar with the moves, whilst the

soldiers’ movements should be mechanical and almost instinctive.

Scene 3

Player 1 We imagined what they might have had with them besides kit. We knew

diaries were banned but that lots of soldiers had them, and we knew non-

standard issue postcards were banned at the front but that lots nevertheless

were sent. We wondered if they’d taken photographs or games or

gramophone records, as we knew some people had played them.

Player 2 We knew there were certain things they had to have with them like…

Player 1 …ammo…

Player 2 …and a mackintosh…

Player 1 …and a big coat…

Player 2 …and water.

Player 1 But we wondered what personal things they might have had.

Player 2 We knew one had pencil and paper with him and that he liked to draw.

Projection of trench sketches

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Player 1 And we knew one like to perform

Projection of Jonty in a dress

Player 2 And we wondered if, at the start, before they really knew it was serious, say

when they were going from camp to camp training in the UK, they would

have had gang shows, like in the Scouts.

Hutton Roof Scout ‘gang show’ song: Ten Green Bottles; Player 10 wears a

wig; shortest player wears ‘too big’ clothes.

Player 1 Like on the hill behind Hutton Roof.

Player 2 We knew Lord Bentinck paid the Scout Masters and that Jonty and Hardy the

vicar led the proceedings.

Player 1 And we wondered if they tried to recreate that at the front.

Player 1 In-between shellings…

Players continue singing with painted on smiles, trying not to react.

Player 2 …and shootings…

2 players fall

Player 1 …and blowing up the ground!

All jump in the air simultaneously and land in supine / semi-supine positions.

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Scene 4

Player 1 We imagined they would have had to learn.

Player 2 To say some basic things in other languages.

Player 1 Like, to the French they might have had to say...

Player 2 (Looks to 1 for approval) I am injured?

Player 5 (Thickly in own accent) Je suis blesse.

Player 1 In the right accent.

Player 5 (A bit more French) Je suis blesse.

Other players Je suis blesse.

Player 1 Or…

Player 2 (Shrugs) Could you help me?

Player 5 Pouvez vous m’aidez.

Others Pouvez vous m’aidez.

Player 1 (Clears throat) Politely.

Player 2 C-Can you help me, please?

Players 3-12 look at each other hopelessly, eventually Player 5 nudges Player 4

Player 4 Pouvez vous m’aidez, (slow and unsure) s-il… vous… plait.

Others Pouvez vous m’aidez, s’il… vous… plait.

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Player 1 And to the Belgians we thought they’d need to say…

Player 2 Do you have any beer?

Player 1 No.

Player 2 How about some chocolate?

Player 1 No.

Player 2 Chips with mayonnaise…?

Player 1 (Exasperated) Is there a doctor nearby!

Player 2 Oh.

Player 5 Ik he een dokter nodig.

Others Ik he een dokter nodig.

Player 1 And…

Player 2 (Pleased with self) Could you help me please?

Player 5 Kunt u mij helpen alstublieft?

Others Kunt u mij helpen alstublieft?

Player 1 And in Germany, perhaps…

Player 2 is puzzled

Player 5 Ich bin verletzt.

Player 1 I’ve been hurt?

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Player 2 nods

Others Ich bin verletzt.

Player 1 And maybe…

Player 4 BITTE HELF MIR!

Player 2 H-Help me please?

Others BITTE HELF MIR.

Looks exchanged between Players 4 and 5 and Players 1 and 2 during the next 4 lines.

Player 1 But we weren’t sure...

Player 2 …if the officers got the, er, vocabulary right.

Scene 5

Projection of recruitment poster with 'Fight the Good Fight’

Player 1 We knew there were people influencing, encouraging them to go.

Player 2 We saw the posters with the hymn by John Samuel Bewley Monsell.

Others (Chant in chorus as marching song) Fight the good fight with all thy might!

Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right;

Lay hold on life, and it shall be

Thy joy and crown eternally.

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Player 1 We wondered if they knew it was based on a passage from the Bible, Timothy

6:12 that wasn’t about war at all.

Others Run the straight race through God’s good grace,

Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;

Life with its way before us lies,

Christ is the path, and Christ the prize.

Player 2 We wondered if they knew that the good fight in the Bible is the fight within

yourself to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and… gentleness.

Player 1 We didn’t think they wanted to kill people or to risk their lives.

Player 2 But we knew it would have been difficult for them to stay at home.

Player 1 Like it was for one man who lived in Lancaster.

Player 3 He got the call up papers on a Monday. I know it was that day because I’d

gone out early to the market and the children were at school. He must have

been all on his own in the yard. He was meant to be planting potatoes at the

allotment.

Player 1 There were 16 000 conscientious objectors to conscription and most of them

were denied the right to be a CO.

Player 3 Jacob, from over the way had come home just days before, with one arm,

one eye and a face made unrecognisable by fire. I knew it’d affected him to

see the lad; we’d known him from a baby.

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Player 2 6000 were jailed.

Player 3 He’d said to me he’d said, ‘If they call me up I’m going to object; I’m not

going to go; I’ll not leave you, Elsie.’

Player 1 And many others were sent to the front.

Player 3 Only then the stories started coming back of what had happened to the

Lancaster Quakers, the ones who wouldn’t fight on principle.

Player 2 The refusal to take up arms, or cowardice as it was called, was an offence.

Player 1 Punishable by firing squad.

Player 3 They were sent to the front and then shot as traitors if they didn’t pick up

the guns and fight.

Player 2 We know of at least 70 who were shot dead by their own side.

Player 3 I found him in the yard stooped over the coal bunker, like he was just about

to open it, papers scattered to the wind and a shotgun I didn’t even know he

had just slipping out of his hand. But the worst was yet to come, when the

doctor came to confirm the death. I was sat in the living room on the best

chair and my neighbour had her arms round me. He handed me the

certificate with a nod. He wouldn’t even say it, just left me to read what he’d

put. Where it said cause of death instead of ‘bullet wound’ or even ‘suicide’

or ‘misadventure’ it said, ‘cowardice’. My Albert doesn’t deserve to be

remembered like that.

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Scene 6

Player 1 Line up! Line up!

Player 2 ‘tenshun!

Players 3-10 line up in neutral poses facing the front; one by one they step out of formation

then back into line when they have said their bit; they speak as if they are trying to

remember a long past dream.

Player 1 Forward, step!

Player 3 Proctor, Arthur Harrison of Low Biggins, Kirkby Lonsdale. I’m 26 years old. I

was a soldier for 7 years but I left and became a painter, only I got called up. I

just got married.

Player 2 Forward step.

Player 4 Walker, Michael, Royal Scots Fusiliers and I live at 22 Mitchelgate, Kirkby

Lonsdale. I’ve already served in the Boer War and in it I lost my brother. Up

till now I’ve been working as a stone mason. My wife has just had a little girl;

she’s a few weeks old. I’m 34.


Player 5 Stackhouse, William Thomas, I’m a captain. Our family owns an estate near

Settle. I have a wife, Theodora and I’m 31 years old, or is it 32?


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Player 6 Holmes, Sergeant Robert. I joined in 1907. That’s all that can be

remembered.


Player 7 Taylforth, William, Sergeant, of Slapestones Kirkby Lonsdale. My dad

manages the Bank of Liverpool on Main Street. I joined up in ‘99 when the

Boer War started. I came home and became a primary teacher in

Manchester. I have a lot of pastimes. I think I’m 31, but I could be 32 or 33.


Player 8 Huggonson, John Wilfrid joining the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light

Infintry. I’m 22 years old. I went to Queen Elizabeth Grammar and I’m from

Coulterthwaite, Leck. I’ve been training to be a teacher at Chelmsford and

the college boys and me are going to France.


Player 9 Wright, Charles R. I-I don’t know what age I am. (Looks down)


Player 10 Hudson, James Edward, of Docker Farm, Whittington and joining the

Westmorland and Cumbrian Yeomanry, that’s horses. I’ll be mounted police

on account of my experience with horses at the farm. I’m 20 years old.


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Player 11 Bond, William, joining as Private of the 6th Battalion, Border Regiment and

Beechwood at Bridgend, Barbon. I’m a mole catcher and I’m either 27 or 28.

That’s all I know.


Player 12 Blows, Sidney Herbert joining the 7th Battalion Border Regiment. I’m 20 years

old and from Cherry Hinton in Cambridgeshire. Till now I worked in the

gardens at Underley, a posh house near Kirkby Lonsdale. I’ve got 7 brothers

and sisters and I came all this way just to find a job.


Player 3 Price, Major, Frederick. I just got married to Annie and I’m 35 years old. I

joined in 1907 but I left 6 months ago; I’ve only just been called up again. My

sister lives in Kirkby Lonsdale.


Player 4 Dawson, John, Burrow, Burrow after me Dad, Dawson after me step-dad, of

Old Manor House, Kirkby Lonsdale. I’m seventeen years old and I’ve just

signed up. It’s September, 1914. Once I’ve done my training I’m going to join

the Hamphshire Regiment and I’m going to be on a ship.


Player 5 Sydney Warwick joining the Border Regiment, I’m seventeen years old and

I’m from Cautsfield, Kirkby Lonsdale. That’s all that can be remembered.


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Player 6 Murphy, Thomas H. I’m 20, I was born in Salford and I used to be a milk-boy.

My mum died when I was younger and my dad is a bookseller and a broker.


Player 7 Warwick, Harry. I’m 21 years old. That’s all that can be remembered.


Player 8 Ashmore, Private Henry. Up till now I’ve been a gardener for Lord Bentinck.

I’ve got a wife and a lot of friends round Kirkby Lonsdale but originally I’m

from Oxfordshire. I don’t know how old I am.


Player 9 Wildman, John, of 4 Market Street, Kirkby Lonsdale. I joined up in 1907.

That’s all that can be remembered.


Player 10 Holmes, Alfred. I’m 24 and until now I worked as a gardener at Underley.

That’s all I know.


Player 11 Richardson, John W of Main Street, Kirkby Lonsdale. That’s all I know.


Player 12 Lowe, Private William. I’m either 32 or 34. My mum passed away and my

sister and my dad live in Kirkby Lonsdale at 65 Main Street; he’s 66. That’s all

I know.

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Player 3 Hardacre, Lance Corporal Harold, of Casterton Post Office where I used to live

with my dad, step-mum and grandma. Up until now I’ve been making boots. I

think I might be 23 but I could be younger.


Player 4 Maudsley, Lance Corporal William of number 4 Beckhead, Kirkby Lonsdale. I

joined up for the Boer War and then I moved to South Africa to work on the

railways. I’m 40 years old.


Player 5 James Hayes. I’m 27. I’m from Nottinghamshire and I enlisted at Kirkby

Lonsdale. That’s all I know.


Player 6 Kirkham, Alex. I was born in Kirkby Lonsdale but we moved to Liverpool. My

age can’t be remembered.

Player 1 signals to others to relax


No one moves

Player 2 Forward step!

Still no one moves

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Player 2 Forward step. Forward step. Forward step.

Player 1 No.

Player 2 What d’you mean, no?

Player 1 There are too many.

Player 2 But I want to remember all of them, the ones who didn’t come back; there’s

nearly two dozen more.

Player 1 There are too many. (Places hand on P2’s shoulder) About turn.

Player 2 Nooo.

Player 1 Quick march.

Player 2 (Following them off) But what about Dawson and Robinson and Wright and

Dunning and Garnett and Hartley and all the others?

Player 1 Left right, left right, left right (repeats until all exit.)

Music: It’s a Long Way to Tipperary

Scene 7

(Small sepia coloured postcards could be used as props here or a postcard could be used as a

projection. These can possibly be made and given to audience members. Letters ‘A’ and ‘B’

could be held up as placards rather than spoken.)

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ALL Rules!

Player 1 Section 1, Correspondence.

Player 2 Field postcards must only contain words which are printed on them and hand

written words will be crossed out.

Player 1 First…

Player 3 (Card in hand, nervous) I am quite well.

Players 1 and 2 nod approvingly

Player 2 Second…

Player 4 (Card in hand, pleased with self) I have been admitted to hospital and I am A,

sick; B, wounded.


Player 1 Third…

Player 5 (Card in hand, scared) I-I am going on well.


Player 2 Fourth…

Player 6 (Card in hand) I hope to be discharged soon (regards P1 and P2 sullenly).

No reaction from 1 and 2

Player 1 Fifth…

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Player 7 (Card in hand, sarcastically) I am being sent down to the base.

Players 1 and 2 exchange a suspicious look

Player 1 Sixth…

Player 8 (Card in hand) I hate my sarg-

Warning look from Player 1, Player 2 looks concerned

Player 8 I have received your letter dated dot dot dot.

Approving look from Player 2 who is relieved

Player 2 Seventh…

Player 10 (Card in hand, scared) I have received your telegram dated dot dot dot dot

Player 1 nods

Player 1 Eighth…

Player 11 (Card in hand, sarcastic) I have received your parcel dated dot-dot, dot-dot-

dot. Dot. Dot.

Player 1 (Gives Player 11 a hard stare) Ninth....

Player 12 (Card in hand) Haig is a complete di-

ALL react with shock

Player 12 -I mean, letter follows at first opportunity.

Player 2 Signature only please.

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(Players with cards scribble on them)

Player 1 All other words will be crossed out!

Player 2 This is for security purposes.

Scene 8

Players 13 and 14 take their eyes off the chess game and watch with interest.

Player 1 You have signed this card, ‘love from Mike, Bethune’.

Player 2 Bethune…

Players 13 and 14 slowly get up and cross/ move USR and USL

Player 7 Have I? I was just. It was a –

Player 13 Field punishment.

Player 7 But I didn’t mean to-

Player 14 Field punishment.

Player 7 Look, I’m sure it’s just a mis-

13 and 14 Field punishment. Field punishment. Field punishment.

ALL except 7 (With varying notes of disapproval, fear, horror and relish) Field punishment,

field punishment, field punishment.

Player 7 is taken by the arms and has them tied behind his back. He is then tied to an object

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which doesn’t move. Player 7 is left in this situation as the boys (13 and 14) play a game of

soldiers, clearly having fun and running around him. The others engaged in ordinary

activities e.g. cleaning guns / boots; they want to help but are afraid to.

Player 1 (To audience) Field punishment was a particularly loathed sanction which was

meted out to those who did not obey the rules whilst on duty.

Player 2 (To audience) This could range from being tied to a chair and left in an open

tent in your underwear to being roped to an object such as a canon or a

barbed wire fence.

Players 13 and 14 exit. P6 frees P7 and ALL exit.

Scene 9

Boys go back to their places at the table and resume the chess game.

Each soldier has a notebook he is writing in as if keeping a diary / journal which can be taken

from a memory box. They are in ‘billets’ i.e. resting quarters.

Player 1 The soldiers weren’t always on duty.

Player 2 They had resting places which could be dug-outs, old barns with holes in the

walls where the rats could crawl through or tents.

Player 1 A lot of their time was spent waiting for orders.

Player 2 Waiting for something to do.

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Player 1 Having time to think…

Player 2 And getting altogether…b-o-o-o-o-red.

Player 1 It’s times like these they wrote in their journals.

Player 2 Even though they weren’t allowed…

Player 7 (Semi-supine, DSC) We marched towards the trenches until 4am, then I came

here to the Dug Out to sleep.

Player 1 They didn’t send these home of course.

Player 2 And only those who survived the war brought them back with them.

Player 3 I am going on well.

Player 8 On top of my legs are the legs of three other soldiers.

Player 4 I hope to be discharged soon.

Player 9 I must be getting some sleep because every so often there’s a dreadful

tickling sensation on my face or my ear or my arm and I start awake cursing

the rat that’s just run over me.

Player 5 I received your letter dated…

Player 10 I can hear some of the men, particularly the younger lads of 16 and 17,

crying. They think no one can hear. In the distance I can hear men screaming

in pain.

Player 6 I received your telegram dated…

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Player 7 After a while I start to blot out the smell of rotting flesh and stench from the

open latrines.

Player 3 I received your parcel dated…

Player 8 My boots haven’t been off my feet for three weeks.

Player 4 I have not heard from you for dot dot dot a few weeks.

Player 10 Three days ago I had to walk to safety over the bodies of my friends, there

were hundreds of them. My back got injured, but it wasn’t a Blighty.

Player 1 A ‘Blighty’ was an injury that was bad enough to send you home to Britain.

Player 2 All the soldiers wanted one.

Player 10 I haven’t slept since.

Player 5 I haven’t heard from you for quite some time!

Player 1 Sometimes they remembered too much and they’d be back in the action.

Player 2 In their heads.

Player 9 (Puts his journal in its box and stands as he speaks.) We gave in our personal

effects before going up to the front.

Music: Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag.

All players line up before Player 1 Player 2 and hand over rucksacks slowly, reluctantly.

Player 7 secretly sneaks a photograph into his shirt pocket when no one else is looking.

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Player 9 (All except Player 6 march slowly as through deep mud) The final march, we

do in gum boots. The mud is almost to our waists, one man loses his grip and

falls forward, one is shot by a sniper. We have our orders to keep going and

we mustn’t stop to help.

Player 6 walks up to the wounded man and makes a sign of the cross, holds him, silently

whispers prayers.

Player 8 (Looks behind his shoulder at the scene) The padre has different orders.

German / English folk song here?

Scene 10

Crowd scene, hustle and bustle of Main Square KL on market day. Player 1 sits behind desk

DSL. Player 2 lays out a ‘Welcome’ mat DSR. As P1 says each address Player 2 who stands by

the desk takes the ‘telegram’ and passes it to one other player who comes forward onto the

mat and takes the telegram. The scene should keep being replenished as players go off and

come on again in other roles until the very end where only one is left.

Music starts very quietly 6-8 lines into this scene and very gradually gets louder; the tune

should grow more and more distorted as the scene progresses: Waltzing Matilda.

Player 1 (Behind desk) Mrs Procter, Low Biggins, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Player 2 (Stands) Mrs Procter, Low Biggins, Kirkby Lonsdale.

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Player 3 comes forward onto the ‘Welcome’ mat, she takes the telegram, freezes, 4 and 5

come forward to comfort her; 3, 4 and 5 exit

Player 1 Mrs Walker, 22 Mitchelgate Kirkby Lonsdale.

Player 2 Mrs Walker, 22 Mitchelgate Kirkby Lonsdale.

Player 4 comes forward, takes telegram and exits.

Player 1 Unknown (tears up piece of paper). Unknown (tears up piece of paper).

William Taylforth, Slapestones, Low Biggins, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Player 2 William Taylforth, Slapestones, Low Biggins, Kirkby Lonsdale.


Player 1 Mr & Mrs Huggonson, Coulterthwiate, Leck.

Player 2 Mr & Mrs Huggonson, Coulterthwiate, Leck.

Players 6 & 7 come forward, take telegram and exit.

Player 1 Mr Hudson, Docker Farm, Whittington.

Player 2 Mr Hudson, Docker Farm, Whittington.


Player 1 Mrs Bond, Beechwood, Bridge End, Barbon.

Player 2 Mrs Bond, Beechwood, Bridge End, Barbon.

Player 9 comes forward, takes telegram and exits

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Player 1 Head Gardener, Underley Gardens Bothy, Underley Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Player 2 Head Gardener, Underley Gardens Bothy, Underley Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale.


Player 1 Unknown(tears up piece of paper).

From this point the process should gradually begin to get quicker, perhaps with P1 and P2

overlapping as more and more people come forward to take telegrams. Or another 2 players

could also start to give out telegrams.

Player 1 Mrs Dawson, 14 Mill Brow, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Player 2 Mrs Dawson, 14 Mill Brow, Kirkby Lonsdale.


Player 1 Mr Warwick, Cautsfield, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Player 2 Mr Warwick, Cautsfield, Kirkby Lonsdale.

No one comes forward, others are at their stations reading and reacting to their telegrams.

Players 1 and 2 sigh, exchange a look then proceed into the audience to give out the

remaining telegrams. They read the name on each envelope before handing it to a member

of the audience.

Whilst telegrams are being distributed to the audience by Player 1 and Player 2 the others

set up the scene for ‘circle time’ in a school setting.

Player 3 comes forward and stands alone in the space; Player 1 approaches, and rattles a

can marked ‘memorial fund’.

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Player 1 (Turns to face audience). The memorial cost 7, 000 in today’s money and, for

a limited period only a war widow could expect to get around 15 shillings a

week with one shilling and two pence extra for each child. That’s the

equivalent of £31.88 in today’s money.

Player 2 With an extra £2.47 per child.

Player 3 (Puts a coin in the slot) Those who were left behind paid for the memorial.

Player 4 Lord Bentinck, how do you do? I gave the biggest donation. (stuffs notes in

the slot proudly). Fifty pounds. Well, a great many men from the estate you

know, made the sacrifice.

Player 1 Equivalent to £2125 in today’s money.

Other players gasp

Player 2 And zero point zero one four percent of the value of a typical country estate

at the time or approximately one ten thousandth…of the value of one of his

homes.*

Other players groan

Player 5 (In role of school boy; drops 6 coins into the slot) And I gave six shillings.

Player 1 Equivalent to £12.75 in today’s money

Player 2 And 39% of his mother’s weekly war widow pension, or almost half.

Player 1 All donations were recorded and listed in the District Post Office with names

next to them.

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Player 2 To encourage more donations.

Player 1 And the collections were taken to the banks.

Player 2 in role as teller and Player 1 hands over the collection box.

Player 2 To be paid at a later date to the stone masons from Lancaster.

Scene 11

This is where we have the young people’s stories. Each player goes and gets a ‘memory box’

e.g. biscuit tin, old suitcase. They are each in the role of a 10 year-old child. One by one they

open their boxes, take out a piece of paper or card and read. This section can be memorised,

can be done in the order suggested here or can be randomised with players choosing a

different card each time. There is potential to add other ‘memories’ here – perhaps players’

own or those which have come to us late in the process. There is also potential to cut this

material into sentence sized chunks and deliver in random order. There could be attempts to

mime the actions suggested by players not reading. This could involve simply posing for

photographs of those mentioned with or without projection of actual photos and / or doing

actions e.g. ‘making lavatory seats’.

Player 1 That was Kirkby Lonsdale then.

Player 2 And this is Kirkby Lonsdale now.

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Player 1 We asked the children in the schools.

Player 2 What their families remembered.

Player 1 And this is what they said.

Player 3 My great Grandma had three brothers and a husband who went to war.

Unfortunately they all got killed. My great grandma remarried and great

grandpa went to war. At one point my grandpa had to shoot a German at

close range. He wrote to the soldier’s parents he felt so awful! He survived

the war and came back with nothing but a scar. After that he played football

for England.

Player 11 My great-great grandfather fought in France in World War 1. He had a bad

leg so he was given a horse to ride. But he was shot in the back by a bullet

and he had to return to England to get better.

Player 4 Two of my great-great-great uncles, Walter Leeming and his brother Henry

Leeming fought in World War 1. Before they went to war they lived with their

family in a farm in Giggleswick, Walter was a rifleman in the West Yorkshire

Regiment. He was killed in action on 7-1-18. He was 21 years old. His

memorial is at Tyne Cot Belgium. His brother Henry was also in the West

Yorkshire Regiment. His rank was private. He was killed in action on 29-7-16.

He was 26 years old. He is buried at Catterallan Valley Cemetery, Langueal,

France. Their brother was John, my great-great-great granddad. He didn’t go

to fight as he was a farmer.

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Player 12 My relative, Peter Harvey was in the local territorial battalion. He joined as a

volunteer well before the war. He served in Ypres and was gassed and soon

after received shrapnel wounds in his leg. He had to go into an army clearing

station (a hospital in a very large tent) where he was declared too injured to

carry on fighting and he was sent back to England.

Player 5 My granpar Govsk served 17-18 for the Shropshire Infantry in the trenches in

France. He never talked about it. My great grandpar Jackson served 1914-18

in the royal artillery in the trenches in France. He was gassed which affected

his lungs and throat for the rest of his life. My great grandpar Webster served

in 1914-18 war for the Durham Light Infantry in the trenches in France. He

was 17 when he enlisted. His brother also went. His brother was killed after

the war ended as communication took days to reach all the troops.

Player 3 He didn’t like to talk about the war.

Player 6 Grandad’s uncle, my great uncle, left university in Durham and volunteered

and went in as an officer. He went missing in the first three weeks, presumed

dead. His mother never moved in case he came home.

Player 4 My Great Great Granddad was shot in Thessaloniki by a sniper.

Player 7 My great-great granddad William Goodship served in World War 1 although

we don’t know what he did. In an archive box we have found his medals and

a photo of him. From this we have learned that he was a gunner/signaller

number 113374.

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Player 8 My great-great grandfather was called Edwin David Geater. He married my

great-great grandma on the day that war broke out and got their photo in the

paper. He went off to war in 1916 and was a private soldier in the 12th

Fusilliers, London Regiment. He went to Noeux-les-Mines, France in

December of 1916. We wrote to my great-great grandma every day but did

not get any letters back for three weeks and then he got seven letters and a

Christmas card all at once. He sent telegrams home and put secret code

messages telling his family he was well and going up the line. He fought at

the Battle of the Somme and got shell shock. He spent a long time in hospital.

He did embroidery to keep calm. My grandma has a teacosy and fireguard

that, that he made in hospital. He died in 1978. Our family still have a photo

of him in his uniform, telegrams he sent, drawings he drew and his diary.

Player 9 My Great-Great-Grandad (Arthur Croft) was involved in World War 1. He was

a joiner and whilst he was in the war his job was to make lavatory seats. He

was based in Egypt and never came home for 4 years. He didn’t suffer any

real illness after the war but the war did affect him.

Player 10 Great Granddad Charles Bibby was in Ypres-in-Belgium. He was a sergeant in

the Royal Artillery. A young officer insisted on going out to an observation

post in daylight. He got shot in the bum. My Great Grandad carried him back

to hospital. He got mentioned in dispatches for his bravery.

Scene 12

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The idea here is that we use suggestions from the audience. We ask them to fill in sheets

as they arrive answering, ‘What does X country make you think of?’. The text below uses

some imagined answers which can be swapped for actual audience suggestions. This

exercise could alternatively be done with the cast, slotting in their responses – it would have

to be done before they had thought too much about the war though, so they could come up

which contrast with the reality for the soldiers.

Player 1 When we think of the First World War we generally think of the trenches, of

France and of Belgium, but people from this area although they mainly

served in France also went to Turkey, Mesopotamia, Orkney and India. (Turns

to Player 2 and holds out box or hat for P2 to choose) Choose a place and tell

us what it makes you think of…

Player 2 (Picks from hat/ box) France. Er… (Audience responses - the more clichéd and

/ or removed from war the better) …frogs legs… croissants…lovely shops

selling specialist chocolate, lavender from Provence, sun-bathing on the

terrace of a villa, film stars posing around at Cannes.

Other players take turns to enact / mime these in Forced Entertainment style

using props they have to hand.

Player 3 Dysentry, waist deep mud, men howling in pain, dead rats.

Other players take turns to illustrate these via mime, movement and or

freeze-frames. The movement illustrations may or may not match.

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Player 1 (Holds out box / hat to Player 2) Choose another one.

Player 2 (Picks another country) India. E-er, saris, rickshaws, bare feet, eating dinner

with your hands…is that right? Do they have…?

Player 4 A spacious bungalow with lots or servants, getting drunk every night on the

local brew, poor chap who never made it across the level crossing because

his horse went barmy, everyone else came home alive.

Player 1 (Holds out box / hat to Player 2) And another…

Player 2 (Picks another) Dardenelles…Dardenelles? Oh, Turkey! Er… sweets made out

o-of rose petals, turquoise pots, Helen of Troy! – it was Helen of Troy wasn’t

it? Erm…eating kebabs, the er ones on a stick I think or is it the other kind?

Player 5 Eating bully beef and biscuits below deck, sleeping on the floor of the cabin

because there’s not enough bunks for all the men, trying to keep the ship on

course in a blizzard and trying not to slip on sick because there’s men

throwing up everywhere.

Player 1 And another.

Player 2 Do I have to?

Player 1 Another.

Player 2 (Reluctantly picks another place) Orkney. Orkney, okay, er, the Italian Chapel

– it’s amazing that have you been? And Scarra Brae and the Old Man of Hoy,

and…fudge, you get free fudge with your coffee at the restaurant at St.

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Margaret’s Hope, and some unusual pottery with snakes on sold in studios

that are a lot like sheds.

Player 6 Hope, optimism, defending our borders, Lord Kitchener aboard ship, proud

moment when German ship goes down, then a land mine, drowning,

devastation and dozens of bodies bobbing on top of the sea.

Scene 13

[Find maps? How do you want these maps? In the same style? Vintage?]

Slide-show of maps of different countries which were involved. Music over?

Scene 14

This scene is the amalgamation of comments from workshop participants on what should

happen / what we can learn.

Player 1 We also asked the children why we remember the First World War…

Player 2 And this is what they told us.

Player 10 I think, because it is an important part of our country’s history. It is hard to

believe that people were forced to go to war so recently, and it is hard to

believe that so many people were killed or badly injured. I think everyone

that fought in the war was very brave and it is important to remember that.

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Player 3 Because of how futile war is, and to remember how many men were

sacrificed for the evil of governments, and to think of the soldiers that risked

their lives for our country and to remember all the soldiers that died.

Player 2 nods; Player 3 looks uncomfortable

Player 3 Except the ones that don’t want to be remembered.

Player 4 People should still remember them because people, not all of them, died to

save lives. After people died health and safety was better and better and

bigger machines were invented.

Player 7 Because so many soldiers died during World War 1. And gave up their lives

for our freedom, so it’s important to remember their bravery. And we should

learn from those wars so we don’t make the same mistake again.

Player 8 People whant to remember all the men and women that fought in the war. It

is like an anniversary to all the families whose family fought in the war and

because it’s a hundred years ago. It will be very special for people to

remember because it is a long time ago and to celebrate the happy and

wonderful lives they had before the war and to remember the times they had

fun with them.

Player 9 I think they want to remember all that destruction so everybody will try extra

hard for it not to happen again.

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Player 10 Because it was such an awful war and people wanted to remember all the

brave people that fought in World War 1. Everyone knew someone who had

died or got injured in the war but it did not stop another war.

Player 2 nods vigorously

Player 11 I-I don’t know.

Player 2 tut-tuts

Player 12 Because we won the war.

Player 2 tut-tuts

Player 12 And people still want to remember and celebrate our victory. To not forget

family and friends that fought in the war.

Player 2 shakes head

Player 2 M-maybe because it was so big and so horrible that you can’t really forget,

can you? I mean, it must be really hard. I also think that we remember it

because there were so many people who died so it must be really hard.

Player 2 nods

Player 3 I think it’s amazing that it’s been 100 years from World War 1. Many people

died for England and they died while fighting for England. I find that amazing.

Because again, not only 100 people died, loads more and I think that is

something to remember.

Player 4 Because we won?

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Player 2 shakes head

Player 4 A-And it actually ended.

Player 8 To remember everyone that fought in the war. It had changed so many lives

and how we lived.

Player 9 Because we won it made Britain what it is today and we are not speaking

Russian.

Player 2 shakes head in dismay

Player 10 We remember it because it has a place in history. The memories will get

passed down from generation to generation and soldiers fought for our

country to protect us and the suffragettes fought for women and political

rights and it has been 100 years since the first global war.

Player 2 looks impressed

Player 11 I think it affected many people, not only the people who went off to war but

those who had to suffer back in the UK. We should remember the people

who died in the war as well as the people who fought in the war but came

back alive.

Player 1 Okay fabulous, so now we’ll just –

Player 12 has hand in the air bursting to answer, Player 2 nudges Player 1.

Player 1 Oh, sorry, why do you think people want to remember?

Player 12 So it doesn’t happen again.

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Scene 15

This scene uses cross-cutting. SR young hopefuls pre-war tell us about their hopes and

dreams for life; SL other players tell us cold facts about the war.

Player 1 That was now.

Player 2 This is then.

Player 1 1911.

Player 2 The year of the last census to be taken before the outbreak of World War 1.

Player 3 I’m training to be a teacher. I hope to have a nice house a family and a motor

car.

Player 1 The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War 1 was 37

million. Wembley Stadium holds 90,000 people so imagine four hundred and

eleven Wemblies. That would take up 131 square kilometres and would

stretch further than from here to Leeds.

Player 4 Arthur and me have just got married. I hope we have our own house and

three children, two girls and one boy, and I hope that when my children grow

up men without property will be able to vote, and women too.

Player 2 16 million of those casualties were fatal, and in France alone, half a million

women became widows.

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Player 5 I’m still at school and when I leave I hope to be a farmer like me dad. I also

hope to not have to do the milking and that my sister will continue to do that

because I don’t like cows much.

Player 1 In the British army it’s estimated that as many as 250, 000 under-age boys

went to war.

Player 6 Now that I’m getting near fifty I have different dreams to when I was young.

I’d like to live to a good age, but mainly I’d like to see my children set up in

life. I’d like them to have jobs and be able to feed their families and be happy.

Player 2 The Military Service Act of 1916 said that all unmarried men between the

ages of 18 and 45 were liable to be called up for service. Within eight weeks

married men were liable too and by April 1918 men up to 51 years old were

conscripted.

Player 7 I don’t want to be catching moles all my life. I mean, I don’t mind it, but I’d

like to settle down one day back home in Kirkby Lonsdale where I’m from,

find a job there that pays and meet a nice girl.

Player 1 Many young men signed up for better wages and food. 25% of the population

was living in poverty and could not afford basics such as public transport.

10% were living in such poor conditions they could not afford to eat regularly.

Player 8 I’m still at school now but when I’m older I want to lead a good life, make my

parents proud of me.

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Player 2 In 1914 most homes did not have indoor lavatories; electricity was available,

but expensive and mainly used by the upper classes.

Player 9 I would really like to be a gardener for one of them big posh houses

somewhere in the country where you can breathe.

Player 3 And me.

Player 4 And me.

Player 5 And me.

9, 3, 4 and 5 shake hands then freeze for duration of Player 2’s speech below.

Player 2 At the start of the war Sir Henry Rawlinson came up with the idea of ‘pals’

battalions to encourage people to sign up. These groups were often linked

geographically but could also be linked by place of work and many employers

encouraged their workers to go ‘en masse’ into the war.

Player 1 And of course, many didn’t come back but what of those who did? Without

their stories, their illicit diaries, letters and journals we would have no way of

knowing what actually happened.

Player 2 Many were injured, mentally as much as physically.

Player 8 He fought at the Battle of the Somme and got shell shock. He spent a long

time in hospital. He did embroidery to keep calm. My grandma has a tea-cosy

and fireguard that, that he made in hospital.

Player 3 He didn’t like to talk about the war.

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Player 10 He walked over the bodies of his friends and for the whole of the rest of his

life it gave him nightmares.

Player 5 He was gassed which affected his lungs and throat for the rest of his life.

Player 2 And many, many families were left bereft with very little to live on.

Player 1 And then slowly, very slowly the world began to change.

Scene 16

One by one the players go back to the memorial formation. While they are doing this the

others shake cans at audience members saying , ‘memorial fund, memorial fund, put

your hands in your pockets for the memorial fund’. Eventually everyone is in the position

they started with. The boys slowly pack up their game and exit DSL.

Music: Eric Bogle ‘No Man’s Land’

*Modern estimates calculated using tools on http://www.measuringworth.com/ppoweruk/

[August 2014]

©Louise Gallagher 2014

This script is made available as a stage play for the use of school and community groups in the Kirkby Lonsdale area on condition that the writer’s name appears on all publicity material in letters no smaller than any other name on the page and that no profits are made from any performances. For any other use including substantial changes to the text, permission must be sought from the writer.

http://www.measuringworth.com/ppoweruk/

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