Remember

Remember is a special tribute presented by the ‘The Ormskirk Theatre Company’ produced for Remembrance Day in aid of the ‘Royal British Legion’ and was devised by Carol Thompson and Gary Simpson. The idea for ‘Remembrance’ came about after a charity concert in 2009 and was originally a simple presentation of war songs and poems. Since then it has continued to develop each year and has now become a theatrical experience by using archive material such as music, film, photographs, readings and personal accounts about loved ones and relatives. This tribute is not meant at all to glorify war but is created to emphasise and highlight the horrific consequences and effects of war on people, communities and countries. It encompasses all conflicts which have taken place over the last 100years and also includes the period of National Service which ended in 1963.
The production was split into three sections the first part covers ‘The Great War’ (1914-1918). The second section covers ‘World War II’ and included the piece about National Service and the third section called ‘Do Not Forget’ covered the Falklands Conflict and also looked at our service men and women of today. There were seven cast members who set the scene and atmosphere by wearing different costumes applicable to each section and era. These included armed forces uniforms, nurses and land girls. The cast sang songs which evoked memories and read words which touched the heart along with the showing of film and photographs on a central screen which was not gratuitous but heart wrenching to watch.  The third section also included a short homemade film by the company that complemented Sarah Mclachlan’s song ‘Angel’ which was very well done.

The whole experience was handled very well with great sensitivity, reverence, and awareness. I personally found the whole experience very moving and thought provoking. I hope  the company continue to present ‘Remember’ for the foreseeable future, as we must never forget the sacrifices made by many men and women  over the years so that we may live in freedom and we should learn from our past  to build a brighter future for our children.

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