A former Hardenhuish School pupil is bringing his own First World War play to Chippenham and the Edinburgh Fringe.
Kingsley Walker, 20, has written, directed and cast Brotherhood, which was commissioned by The Cause’s owner Fred Guscott, which follows two brothers’ experience of being sent off to war, as well as how their family at home deal with it. It was inspired by real Chippenham soldiers who fought in the Great War.
Mr Walker, of The Causeway, became interested in the war on a school battlefield trip to France aged 13.
He has researched the piece over two years using the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Chippenham Museum, the internet and documentaries.
He said: “In the classroom you learn the when, why and how, but what we have focused on in this play is the who. It is based on the stories of real soldiers and they were very, very young boys. It is an honour to have the opportunity to tell the stories of these brave men in extraordinary circumstances which today seem unthinkable.”
Brotherhood’s cast of five boys and one girl, from Green Stag theatre company, have been rehearsing since March.
Green Stag, mainly of teachers and former students at Hardenhuish, is run by Mr Walker and Duncan Ellis, the school’s head of drama. It runs in Bristol in July before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
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