Actors train veterans to tell teenagers tales of adversity
WOUNDED veterans are being trained in theatrecraft to tell their stories and inspire hard-to-reach teenagers.
The former soldiers, many of whom lost limbs in Afghanistan and Iraq, learned delivery techniques and how to command an audience in the workshop at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Former Parachute Regiment Lance Corporal Jordan Beecher, 28, lost his lower left leg after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan in 2012. He said: “When we first started speaking, it was like we were giving orders or a lesson in how to use a weapon. It was all very regimented. But the training has given us more confidence to take risks, be a bit more theatrical and make the stories more engaging.”
Mr Beecher, of St Albans, who has won four golds and a silver medal in rowing at the Invictus Games, had to rebuild his life after being discharged in 2015.
He said: “There were things I thought I was fine about but in hindsight I can see I’ve been through a lot and probably pushed people away. This whole process has really helped me as well.”
The scheme, organised by military charity Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, is entering its second year. It hopes to run workshops for 7,000 children.
The project members, including two triple amputees who have rebuilt their lives and careers, had no experience of public speaking or telling their story.
Mr Beecher, who is training for a charity row across the Atlantic, said: “I tried a bit of teaching and enjoyed it but it wasn’t enough. I think this will give me what was missing from teaching.
“When I was a kid I didn’t really care about school but it is important and I hope I can use my mistakes to steer people in the right direction. It is good to give back to people who need a bit more in their lives.” The members are trained by National Theatre actors and professional story-tellers over a fiveday course to develop their accounts. A pilot scheme reached 1,000 teenagers last year and won acclaim from teachers and pupils.
The veterans, who range in age from 22 to 65, will be holding workshops from Hackney to Barnes from February to July. Former Royal Anglian Regiment Corporal Billy Drinkwater, 34, of Chingford, was injured in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2012. He now needs help to cross the road and get dressed.
“I’ve been independent all my life and that was really hard to get used to,” he said. “I lost the sight in my right eye and my left is badly damaged. I’ve lost my sense of smell and hearing in one ear.”
He has since qualified as a personal trainer, bought property and wants to learn project management so he can run a charity. He said: “I’ve never done anything like this before but if telling my story can help people then I’m all over that.”
Alice Driver, delivering the scheme as head of the Drive Project, said: “It has been such a success with fantastic feedback from the veterans and the schools. It has been particularly successful when the veterans work with pupil referral units or with challenging students.”
For schools wanting to book the workshops, contact bcp@blesma.org