We aim to remember heroes of conflict
ORMSKIRK Theatre Company will be holding a production of remembrance on Saturday, November 10, to mark the centenary of the end of WWI.
Company member Gary Simpson has been trying to put together a “Wall of Remembrance” to go with the event.
It is hoped to feature 100 photographs, each of someone holding a picture of someone they wish to remember who either served in a military or civilian capacity during any of the conflicts of the past 100 years, or undertook National Service.
This has proved a challenge so far, but the show will go on.
Gary said: “I don’t know if the Wall of Remembrance will actually happen.
“Although I have received one or two contributions, I have had many comments from people who say that they do not have photographs of relatives from the First World War to share.
“That in itself is a shame, but understandable.
“The idea behind Remember, the production we are staging on November 10, however was not to commemorate the First World War in isol ation but rather to remember those who have served, and those who died since 1914, right up to the present day.”
The show has run five times before, after it made its debut in 2011.
“The idea for Remember came from a production of Accrington Pals, which the Ormskirk Theatre Company staged in Ormskirk Civic Hall in 2007 (more details can be found on our website, www.ormskirktheatre company.co.uk/pals).
“The whole cast were moved by the story, which revolved around the Pals regiments and the Accrington Pals regiment, in particular, who were decimated at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
“Soon, we would be chatting over a pint after rehearsals and family albums would be produced with photographs of our grandfathers who fought in the war.
“Carol Thompson, one of our number, suggested doing a Remembrance Day concert in Christ Church, Aughton, in 2010 and we did – a mixture of songs and poems from the First World War.
“It went well, and we expanded the piece to include local history, biographies, some film footage and costumes and extended the evening to include WWII, National Service, the Falklands, the Gulf War and later conflicts, too.
“The resulting production, Remember, was staged at Ormskirk Civic Hall in 2011.”
The show includes cast members taking it in turns to speak briefly about a member of their family or a friend or colleague they wish to remember.
Gary said: “I have spoken about the grandfather I never knew each time we have performed the show in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
“At first, I was uncertain whether including such an item would be too personal or too morbid, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.
“Many of the audience said it was one of the most moving parts of the evening, because suddenly the figures depicted in the weathered sepia photographs had a name, and a personal link with the person who was speaking.
“Suddenly, these soldiers became people, just like us and, but for an accident of time, we could have shared the same fate and endured the same horrors.”
The Wall of Remembrance will still take place, potentially on a lesser scale than first hoped, in an attempt to raise awareness of the Ormskirk community’s contribution: “I had hoped with the Wall of Remembrance to extend that awareness to the wider community.
“It may not come to pass - I think the original idea of 100 photographs, in retrospect, was too ambitious - but we would still welcome any contributions that members of the community might like to share with us to display on the evening.
“I think one of the main things that surprised us during our research was the sheer scale of the conflict and the magnitude of the loss on the local community.
“If the figures from the First World War were extrapolated to Ormskirk today, it would be equivalent to 1,600 casualties from the town alone.
“Only by not forgetting the past, can we hope to ensure that such events do not happen again.”
Gary never met his grandad, Robert Fox Simpson, who died, age 24, in the Battle of Arras on May 15, 1917, but Robert still holds huge importance to the Simpson family.
“He is someone I never met, but to me and my immediate family, he symbolises the personal tragedy which befell so many people.
Anyone who wants to contribute to the Wall Of Remembrance can do so by sending photographs and their memories to Ormskirk Theatre Company at Ormskirk_theatre@hotmail.com or through the Remember 2018 page on Facebook.
ORMSKIRK Theatre Company presents Remember at The Civic, on Southport Road, Ormskirk, on Saturday, Nov 10, from 7.30pm, tickets £10.
Call 07757 416 560 or visit: www.ormskirk theatrecompany.co.uk