A story following the enthusiastic soldiers who volunteered their services after Kitchener’s calls for a New Army is to be brought to life.
At 7.20am on July 1, 1916, the Accrington Pals, part of the 11th Battalion, were among the first out of the trenches in the Battle for Serre in the Somme region of France.
By 8am, more than 580 of the 720 who had made the journey were killed, wounded or missing.
Peter Whelan's play follows the story of the innocent men who volunteered their services to their country after Kitchener's famous call, ‘your country needs you’.
Their experiences of life on the Western Front are contrasted with the women who are left behind, who come together as friends to face the social changes that come along with the absence of so many men.
The play will be performed by the Epsom Players in Myers Studio, which has unallocated seating.
The Accrington Pals; Myers Studio, Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, Epsom; October 29 to November 1, 7.45pm; £14; call 01372 742555; visit www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk.
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