So much more than a play about the war.
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This is a play that can be read on so many levels, its a touching tale of the trials and tribulations of a group of young people from Accrington who 'do the right thing' and sign up for service in world war one. It is a play about relationships, between a group of young men, between the men and the women they leave behind, and about one mans relationship with God. We see the struggle of a single working class woman surviving in a man's world, fighting to put her stamp on her own live. We learn about the loss of childhood and dignity in the trenches and the devesating impact the war had on the close knit working class communities in Britain. The result of the war leads the soldiers to the ultimate sacrifice, the loss of their lives and the questioning of their faith in God in the hour of death. A great play, moving, funny and shocking. Highly recommended.
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Review of Peter Whelan's Play, "The Accrington Pals"
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A play that allows us to enter the minds of the common people who lost so much during the first world war. The soldiers who left, in innocence and ignorance, to fight for their country; and those left behind to grieve for their loss. The play compares the idealist socialism of the artist, Tom, with the individualism of May, with her self help philosophy. The play is based on the real life tragedy of The Accrington Pals, which adds poignancy. It is accessible and sensitively written and well worth reading.
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