All the Fine Young Men has been written by members of the Red Spider Company. Awarded through HLF’s First World War Then and Now programme, the project will focus on the social history of the individuals and families who lived and worked in the small rural communities of Lewdown and Lifton during the period 1914-1918 exploring the lasting impact that the conflict had on these communities.
To mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the project will enable local people from Lewdown and Lifton and surrounding areas to preserve the memories and heritage of the people who lived through the First World War.
The chairman of the Red Spider Company, Frances Girling said: ‘We are anxious to ensure the legacy and details of this appalling war are valued and understood by future generations and the Heritage Lottery grant will help us to produce a fitting tribute to all those who sacrificed so much from even the smallest communities such as here in West Devon.
‘The Battle of the Somme is regarded as a defining moment in the war and our production will focus on the farmers, skilled labourers, land owners and gardeners whose names feature on our war memorials as well as those who survived. Our characters will however be fictional but based on our research and recollections.’
Volunteers from all age groups are being invited to participate in the project which is made up of four interrelated activities. The first is a musical drama based on the re-imagined lives of eight young men from the Lewtrenchard estate, Lewdown and Lifton, as well as their families and friends caught up in the consequences of the war on the Western Front. The eight men went from working as gardeners and agricultural labourers to enlist in the armed services. The play tells the stories of their experiences during the war years through music and drama.
The play is interwoven with over 20 pieces of original music from the period which sprang directly from real experiences of the war.
Secondly, children and teachers from local schools will participate in creative writing projects using the researched material to create letters to and from the families and communities involved in the campaign which will help them to engage with the stories and experiences of people from their own communities during the dark days of the First World War. The project will be called Words Across The Years.
Thirdly a group of members from Red Spider is putting together an exhibition of artefacts, pictures and recollections that will tour local halls, schools and appropriate events.
Finally a time capsule recording the entire project together with a DVD and other material will be buried in the Forgotten Garden of Lewtrenchard and the site marked to record this location.
The company has already received offers of help from Tavistock College and a travelling version of the musical drama will be visiting Mount Kelly as part of the Tavistock Heritage Festival later in the year.
People across the community will have the opportunity to watch performances of the play in a range of locations but the first productions will be at the Lewdown Victory Hall on July 14 to 16. Tickets and booking arrangements will be announced nearer the time.