AS A PRELUDE to Remembrance Sunday, which has a special significance this year, on Thursday and Friday evenings, November 8 and 9, members of Holsworthy Amateur Theatrical Society (HATS) paid a moving tribute to the 39 men of the town and area, some of them still boys, who made the ultimate sacrifice, writes Christine Williams.

Both shows were completely sold out and on arrival at the HATS theatre the audiences found the foyer appropriately decorated with union flags and poppies and on the walls of the auditorium were photographs of the soldiers who perished.

The show began with the whole cast singing ‘Cockles and Mussels’, a reminder that the Irish fought side by side with the British, then a narrator started his account, which punctuated the whole evening, of the historical facts from outbreak of war to Armistice Day, illustrated with photographs projected on to a screen.

On an empty stage save for a few tables and chairs and through the medium of songs, poems, sketches and letters the cast of 41 together with local Scouts, Cubs, Beavers and army cadets movingly brought to life the tragic events of the First World War. The songs conveyed the changing moods: from the soldiers’ thoughts of home (‘I Want to Go Home’), their stoicism facing life in the trenches (‘Pack Up Your Troubles’), the worry of the women back home (‘Bring Them Home’), to moments of fun (‘Mademoiselle from Armentieres’) and the despair for lost loved ones (‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables’). Other songs recalled the Holsworthy wartime concert party (‘Burlington Bertie’), the arrival of the Americans (‘Over There’) after the sinking of the Lusitania and the advent of the RAF (‘Magnificent Men’).

The poems described the terrible conditions in the trenches, (‘My Little Wet Home in the Trench’), the fear of going over the top, ending with Laurence Binyon’s ‘For the Fallen’ with the famous lines: “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.” The sketches gave glimpses of life in the trenches, notably the Christmas truce of 1914 when British and German soldiers emerged from the trenches and met in No Man’s Land to sing carols (‘Stille Nacht’) and play football. Back home in Holsworthy there were efforts to recruit soldiers while the women knitted and did their best to provide comfort to the men and took on new roles which would lead to some getting the right to vote after the war. There was a moving tribute to nurse Edith Cavell who saved the lives of soldiers from both sides, but was shot by a German firing squad. Particularly affecting was the reading of letters from the front by descendants of those who had penned them. But the most poignant moments came when, with a photograph of a lost Holsworthy man displayed on the screen or represented by a cast member in uniform, a short obituary of each man was read and a Scout, a Cub or a Beaver planted a poppy at the front of the stage with the words ‘We will remember you’.

When all 39 poppies were planted, the audience joined the cast, flags waving, in singing ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and were invited to stand for the Last Post played by Hannah Daniel. With standards dipped and a rain of poppy petals fluttering down, a minute’s silence was observed. After the ‘Rouse’ the whole cast and children brought a memorable evening to a close with the song ‘Lest We Forget’.

Thanks were expressed to Lesley and Mike Wonnacott who created ‘Lest We Forget’, then assembled the cast and directed and produced the show which will live long in the memories of all those who were present, on stage, backstage or in the audience. The proceeds of the show will be shared between the Royal British Legion and Help For Heroes.

Musicians — Sheila Ford, Tracey Worth, Paul Cholwill, MD Mike Wonnacott.

Cast — Phil Barfett, Georgina Bridle, Simon Brooking, Tom Chandler-Ross, Nick Cleaver, Hannah Daniel, Rebecca Davis, Annette Dennis, John Dixon, Eve Earles, Christine Forster, Caleb Fowler, Becky Gear, Trevor House, Charles Jeffery-Hudson, Dan Hunt, Wendy Isaac, Kaya Kirby, Heather Knights, Patrick Lavender, Jodie Lawson, Sarah Leach, Ron Lester, Kay Napier, Andrea Nosworthy, Mary Osborne, Sue Painter, Teg Parry-Watson, Diana Sluggett,  Kerry Smith, Alisha Squirrel, Joel Stokes, Ken Tyrrell, Bradley Vile, Peter Whitehead, Lesley Wonnacott, Marion Wonnacott, Michael Wonnacott, Betty Woodhams, Tracey Wosnitzka, Carole Wright.

Stage manager — Malcolm Withall; costumes — Mary Barfett, Tiny Lester, Sandra Hamley; lighting/sound — Tony Prouse, Lesley Wonnacott, Terina Ellacott; Follow Spots — Chris Nosworthy, Adele Nosworthy, Jacob Nosworthy; photographs — Rodney Parrish.