Frontline heroes are stage troupers
A group of Army veterans injured or traumatised on tours of duty are staging a play about their experiences at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
The Bravo 22 tour company features 15 former soldiers who say bringing Unspoken – The Warriors and Their Wounds to the festival has been therapeutic.
Among those taking part is Ken Bellringer, 46, a former bomb disposal expert who lost both legs in 2010 while trying to save a comrade from a Taliban landmine. He was once described as the most severely injured soldier in Afghanistan.
He said: ‘One of the benefits of Bravo 22 is that my physical disabilities don’t matter. I have as much of a contribution as anyone else on the play and that feels really good.
‘It is the only time I’ve felt equal with people since I have been disabled.
‘Working on the play has definitely helped me, being able to talk to other people who understood the military way.’
Also taking part in the play is Matt Wightman, 49, who was a peat farmer in Perthshire before enlisting. He deployed to Belfast from 1987 to 1989, where he witnessed a colleague take his life.
He said: ‘My room-mate shot himself. I was 19 years old. Later on in my career, things caught up with me. I had a bit of a breakdown.’
Mr Wightman left the Army in 1999. He said: ‘Bravo 22 is the most beneficial thing I have done since. It helps me connect with other people who have been through similar things.’