THE MEN THAT MARCHED AWAY

 

                                           THE MEN THAT MARCHED AWAY    CODS

                                                  KIRTON  14-19

Director Paul Walker                                                                     Assistant Director Jacki Hayes

                                 Musical Director Allan Fouracre

Crediton Parish Church                                                                19th June 2019

 

This was a very special play written by Paul Walker, whose desire to dramatise the lives (and deaths) of the people of Crediton during the first world war has simmered for some time  ,and I am  glad his determination to see it through meant that we ,the audience, were privileged to see and witness such a personal and local glimpse of a particularly poignant time in Crediton’s history.

Crediton Parish Church was clearly the best venue to portray this period of Crediton’s past, as this building, steeped in its own history must have witnessed so many moments of personal joy and tragedy through so many years.

The men who marched away leaving their families and loved ones behind were incredibly brave, but   didn’t realise at the time what was to come and what horrors “over the top “was going to mean

Attending this particular piece of art form was a real privilege and was a fitting tribute to the people of Crediton.

The play was atmospheric, poignant, well written and sensitively performed.

The old Devon accents (gradually disappearing in our modern times) were so necessary to help with the real sense of history and helped bring the play alive. The narrator, based on a real Crediton resident of the time (as were all the characters) helped bring the scenes together, both happy and sad.

The singing was done beautifully together with the side effects of smoke and sound that complimented the scenes so well. The songs were well chosen and came from a variety of sources, including Devon’s own Show of Hands, who have supported the various commemorations of the Great War so enthusiastically.

I deliberately have not mentioned any of the cast because they were all so good and brought out the best in their portrayals. The height of the church roof meant that the lighter ladies voices were sometimes lost, and a bit of extra concentration was needed to catch all the words of the many beautiful songs. However, this did not detract from the overall impact of this production.

The Music Hall scene was a welcome relief (as it must have been at the time from the difficult and sad experiences that many families were undergoing) and involving the audience in the singsong complete with song sheets was a clever touch which lightened the mood considerably.

And here I am going to mention Cory Jenkins a 7-year-old who sang “The Rose in No Man’s Land “    This was sung so beautifully and with such confidence it brought a lump to many throats. You could have heard a pin drop and he received a well-deserved standing ovation at the end.

I very much enjoyed this splendid and unique production and all CODS own Work!

CODS You never cease to amaze me
Congratulations to all concerned with this very special production, especially the author and director, whose personal statement this was.

All I can say to those that did not see it; you missed a real treat!

Thank you CODS you’ve done it again!

Graham Liverton Regional Councillor NODA Southwest

 

 

 

 

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