“I am so proud and overwhelmed. It is the most moving play I’ve seen for a long, long time. The public should get behind this and be part of something unforgettable”
Ray Winstone, Project Ambassador
IN the centenary year of the outbreak of World War 1 the play, The Two Worlds of Charlie F, will start a new UK tour funded by Arts Council England in support of The Royal British Legion; it will be performed by medically-discharged Service personnel, as well as professional actors.
The play was initially created to provide a unique work placement for serving wounded, injured and sick (WIS) military personnel within a theatre company to boost confidence, self-esteem and to give a voice to this group of individuals.
This was the first time that the MOD has allowed a theatre company access to their wounded soldiers. Following workshops and interviews with the WIS Service personnel the play was created through a partnership of The Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust, The Royal British Legion and Defence Recovery Capability, and written by the award-winning poet and playwright Owen Sheers.
After two sell-out performances at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End, it then embarked on a short UK tour, receiving five-star reviews, full houses and standing ovations; and won the Amnesty International Award for Freedom of Expression 2012.
The play is a personal and very moving soldier’s view of Service, injury and recovery. Moving from the war in Afghanistan, through the dream world of morphine-induced hallucinations to the physio rooms of Headley Court, the play explores the consequences of injury, both physical and psychological, and its effects on others as the soldiers’ fight to win the new battle for survival at home.
The cast includes ex-Servicemen and women such as Marine Cassidy Little (pictured left), who lost a leg in his second tour of Afghanistan; Cassidy plays the title role of Marine Charlie Fowler.
For tour dates and tickets, including details of special rates for Service personnel, visit www.charlie-f.com