Short plays staged to mark first world war centenary

An Elgin venue is to showcase two short plays staged to mark the centenary of World War I.

The Drouthy Cobbler will host “Our Friends, The Enemy” on October 15 at 7.30pm. An acclaimed one man show told through the eyes of Private James Boyce, this production describes the events leading up to the remarkable Christmas truce forged between Allied and German soldiers on the front lines in 1914.

It was curiosity with how an event of such mass humanity was so poorly documented that brought about the play’s creation by writer Alex Gwyther. It has since achieved sell out runs at the New Wimbledon Studio, Theatre 503 and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The third play in the PlayPieces season is “Beyond the Trenches”. Influenced in style by War poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon the piece follows soldier Robbie MacLean during and after the War.

As shellshock takes its toll on Robbie, the play follows the effects on his life and on those of his family back home in the Highlands.

Playpieces is a series of monthly plays at lunchtime served up with a local pie and pint and running until March.

Produced by Northern Heights Theatre company, written by Rebecca Martin and Nicholas Ralph and directed by Jimmy Chisholm, “Beyond the Trenches” also welcomes local writer, singer and actress Morna Young as dramaturg.

Tickets are available priced £8 and £10 respectively from the Drouthy Cobbler and from www.thedrouthycobbler.co.uk

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