Northern Broadsides and Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre are to mark the centenary of the start of World War I with the world première of Deborah McAndrew’s new play An August Bank Holiday Lark.
Taking its title from a line in Philip Larkin’s poem MCMXIV, An August Bank Holiday Lark explores the impact of the war on a rural community in East Lancashire.
The play is set in the summer of 1914 and everyone in the community is excited about Wakes Week. It provides a rest from work and a celebration of the Rushbearing Festival with singing, courting, drinking and dancing.
The production follows the stories of the people of the village and witnesses their transitions from exuberance to touching naivety as they deal with their loss with courage and humanity.
Deborah McAndrew says, “An August Bank Holiday Lark focuses on one small community and the often overlooked British involvement on the Eastern Front.
“Countless Lancashire lads exchanged the soft Pennine drizzle for the searing Turkish sun and gave their lives at the August offensive in Gallipoli.
“It felt important to depict normal life with all the character and absurdity that you always see in people. The war happened to folk who were flirting and arguing, dreaming and even dying in the usual way; people for whom a poppy was just another flower you stuck in your hat.”
The play is directed by and features Northern Broadsides artistic director Barrie Rutter.
The rest of the cast is Ben Burman, Emily Butterfield, Elizabeth Eves, Sophia Hatfield, Darren Kuppan, Brett Lee Roberts, Jack Quarton, Lauryn Redding, Russell Richardson, Mark Thomas and Andrew Whitehead.
An August Bank Holiday Lark will run at the New Vic from 7 February until 1 March and will then tour to Lancaster, Huddersfield, York, Leeds, Scarborough, Liverpool, Watford, Oxford, Derby, Cheltenham, Kingston and Oldham.