Cast

Synopsis

Accrington during 1914 – 1916. The “Pals” are the men from the local volunteer battalion who march high-spiritedly off to the Great War. Their experiences in the trenches contrast with those of the women left behind. At times funny, at times sad, this play paints a moving picture of the changes in civilian life during wartime, especially from the point of view of the women.

Directors Notes

I was initially drawn to this play because I knew and admired other plays by Peter Whelan. His focus on the women also appealed to me. My father and his brother, aged fifteen and sixteen respectively, joined up in 1914, lying about their ages. I have often wondered what my grandmother must have thought and felt.

Although the play is based on a real place and situation, the themes have a much wider significance, concentrating on the relationships of the characters. In his preface to The Accrington Pals Whelan suggests that the conflict between May and Tom, the individualist versus the socialist, can be seen clearly in today’s world, even taking on “a global urgency”. He invites us to universalise the ideas of the play, while still appreciating the historical facts. Although our production suggests the period and place, we do not feel that these aspects are the most important. I apologise if any of the audience find that the accents lack authenticity. It is noteworthy that Peter Whelan uses no dialect at all in the script.

Compared with the splendid set of Fatal Attraction, ours is rather skeletal, but it is proving liberating, enabling us to emphasise links between the characters. I am grateful to Tony Leach for creating this minimal but very effective set, to Richard Thompson and Jim Brooks for bringing the set to life through the lighting and effects and to Wardrobes and Props teams for their careful attention to detail.

I am delighted that we have three former members of Kaleidoscope in the Cast, together with two existing members. They are contributing richly, while benefiting from the experience of working alongside more experienced and established BLT members. My thanks to all the Cast.