The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Forgotten tale of women at war
A new piece of touring music theatre, which explores how women, families and communities on the home front were affected by the First World War, opens at Perth’s Station Hotel tonight
The date is 1917 and the war across the channel rages on.
In Russia, a revolution is turning the social order on its head while at home in Britain, women are fighting their own battles. Rents are rising. Food is scarce. And war work can be deadly.
Opening at Perth’s Station Hotel tonight, The 306: Day – part two in a new First World War trilogy – focuses on three women and their resistance to war, as well as their struggle to survive in a world that won’t listen.
Partially set in Glasgow and featuring a contemporary score performed live by Red Note Ensemble, the show is written by Oliver Emanuel, composed by Gareth Williams, directed by Jemima Levick and designed by Becky Minto.
The first part, The 306: Dawn, premiered last summer and was set around the events of the Battle of the Somme, marking the centenary of the Somme Offensive.
Staged in a barn at Dalcrue Farm near Pitcairngreen, Perthshire, the play charted the heart-breaking and real-life stories of the 306 men executed for cowardice and desertion and the devastating consequences for those they left behind.
For anyone who missed this fantastic and insightful performance, director Jemima Levick insists the new show is very much a “separate play”.
“You don’t have to have seen part one; this is a very different story,” she says.
“This is the women’s story. It’s about those left behind on the home front. They kept industry going and crucially, they began to take action against war.
“The show tackles the forgotten stories of these women. It’s about
staying silent and speaking out, fighting for peace and giving in to violence.”
Focusing on three women, the production follows Nellie Murray who works at a Glasgow munitions factory but is also a member of the Women’s Peace Crusade.
Then there’s Gertrude Farr. Struggling to cope after the execution of her husband for cowardice, Gertrude has a young daughter and doesn’t know where to turn.
We also follow the story of Mrs Byers as she waits for news of her son. He ran off to join the army at the beginning of the war and she prays for word of his safe return.
The choice of venue for each performance – in meeting places and civic venues where people signed up for war – is important.
“The platform at Perth Station is really long and boys from the Highlands gathered there in droves,” says Jemima.
“The Marryat Hall in Dundee, the venue on May 25, is where people used to sign up, while they protested at nearby Caird Hall.”
While the show is full of moving and poignant moments, there are times when audience members will find their hearts soaring.
“Yes, there’s sadness and loss but also moments of hope. And yes, we want people to take away some positives,” says Jemima.
“These women took action, made changes, and the play resonates with the world we’re living in today. Women are protesting across the globe about their rights and making their voices heard. If there’s a message to convey, it’s ‘let’s not let this happen again’.”
Inspired by real events and first-hand accounts, The 306: Day is co-produced by National Theatre of Scotland (NTS), Perth Theatre, and Stellar Quines, in association with Red Note Ensemble.
The set has been reconstructed from timber used to clad Dalcrue Barn. The show runs at Perth’s Station Hotel from May 5-13, before touring Scotland, including dates in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Lockerbie and a night at Dundee’s Marryat Hall on May 25.
This is the women’s story. It’s about those left behind on the home front