Keep the Home Fires Burning
by Marylin Apps & Andy Sunnucks
Director Marylin Apps
Synopsis
‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ is a dramatization of the genuine stories of real inhabitants of East Peckham during The Great War (1914-1918). We have taken the stories of a few of the men who went to war; some of whom came back; some were wounded; and some sadly died.
The central narrative of our play concerns Donald Hodge who was the first person to enlist from East Peckham on the 7th September 1914 at the age of 19years. Although he was at the forefront of many of the worst battles (The Somme and Passchendaele) Donald went through the whole war without being wounded and went on to live to be 104 years old, eventually dying in 1997! Donald left an excellent verbal archive (which is now at the Imperial War Museum) of his experiences both at home and at the front. We have woven many of his actual words into our play.
With her permission, we have also taken stories from local historian, Margaret Lawrence’s excellent book, ‘The Life They Left Behind’ and dramatized some of the more exceptional experiences of local people.
Using narration from ‘Old Donald’ and Mrs Mowil (who saved the sanity if not the life of Charles Bolton, from Stone Pitt Cottages, Little Mill),drama, poetry and songs we have tried to give a feel of what the war would have been like at home and at the front.
All of the main characters in our play are based on real people. Some of the minor characters have been added for dramatic effect to illustrate a particular point.
Cast
‘Old’ Donald Hodge (Age 100years) - Nigel Roberts
Mrs Mowil - Liz Adamson
Margaret Wickens (The Addlestead) - Liz Roberts
Mary Clapson (The Man of Kent) - Sue Noad
Drinker 1 - Kathy Lewis
Drinker 2 - Katherine Apps
Drunk - Jill Roper
Caroline Clapson (The Man of Kent) - Karen Jefferies
Thomas Hodge (Donald’s Father) - Gerry McVicker
George Clapson (The Man of Kent) - Lee Prince
Doris Hodge (Donald’s older sister) - Jodie Eldridge
Helen Hodge (Donald’s mother) - Belinda Prince
Donald Hodge (Aged 19years) - Ben Johns
Phoebe (Foster child) - Annabelle White
Andrew (Foster child) - Elliot Packham
Sarah Elphick (Helen Hodges’ best friend) - Jan Kennard
Lil (A London Hop Picker) - Liz Roberts
Daisy (A London Hop Picker) - Katherine Apps
Maria (A London Hop Picker) - Karen Jefferies
Annie (A London Hop Picker) - Sue Noad
Rev. Wood (Holy Trinity) - Lee Prince
Pastor Rodwell (Wesleyan Methodist) - Gerry McVicker
Sergeant - Colin Offord
Eliza Barnden (John’s mother) - Katherine Apps
Churchgoer - Jill Roper
Nurse - Katherine Apps
Jimmy Benton (Donald’s best friend) - Lee Prince
German soldiers - Chris Graham/Brian Lloyd/Martin Apps
Charles Bolton - Martin Apps
Agnes (Donald’s ‘Girl’) - Katherine Apps
Synopsis
‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ is a dramatization of the genuine stories of real inhabitants of East Peckham during The Great War (1914-1918). We have taken the stories of a few of the men who went to war; some of whom came back; some were wounded; and some sadly died.
The central narrative of our play concerns Donald Hodge who was the first person to enlist from East Peckham on the 7th September 1914 at the age of 19years. Although he was at the forefront of many of the worst battles (The Somme and Passchendaele) Donald went through the whole war without being wounded and went on to live to be 104 years old, eventually dying in 1997! Donald left an excellent verbal archive (which is now at the Imperial War Museum) of his experiences both at home and at the front. We have woven many of his actual words into our play.
With her permission, we have also taken stories from local historian, Margaret Lawrence’s excellent book, ‘The Life They Left Behind’ and dramatized some of the more exceptional experiences of local people.
Using narration from ‘Old Donald’ and Mrs Mowil (who saved the sanity if not the life of Charles Bolton, from Stone Pitt Cottages, Little Mill),drama, poetry and songs we have tried to give a feel of what the war would have been like at home and at the front.
All of the main characters in our play are based on real people. Some of the minor characters have been added for dramatic effect to illustrate a particular point.
Cast
‘Old’ Donald Hodge (Age 100years) - Nigel Roberts
Mrs Mowil - Liz Adamson
Margaret Wickens (The Addlestead) - Liz Roberts
Mary Clapson (The Man of Kent) - Sue Noad
Drinker 1 - Kathy Lewis
Drinker 2 - Katherine Apps
Drunk - Jill Roper
Caroline Clapson (The Man of Kent) - Karen Jefferies
Thomas Hodge (Donald’s Father) - Gerry McVicker
George Clapson (The Man of Kent) - Lee Prince
Doris Hodge (Donald’s older sister) - Jodie Eldridge
Helen Hodge (Donald’s mother) - Belinda Prince
Donald Hodge (Aged 19years) - Ben Johns
Phoebe (Foster child) - Annabelle White
Andrew (Foster child) - Elliot Packham
Sarah Elphick (Helen Hodges’ best friend) - Jan Kennard
Lil (A London Hop Picker) - Liz Roberts
Daisy (A London Hop Picker) - Katherine Apps
Maria (A London Hop Picker) - Karen Jefferies
Annie (A London Hop Picker) - Sue Noad
Rev. Wood (Holy Trinity) - Lee Prince
Pastor Rodwell (Wesleyan Methodist) - Gerry McVicker
Sergeant - Colin Offord
Eliza Barnden (John’s mother) - Katherine Apps
Churchgoer - Jill Roper
Nurse - Katherine Apps
Jimmy Benton (Donald’s best friend) - Lee Prince
German soldiers - Chris Graham/Brian Lloyd/Martin Apps
Charles Bolton - Martin Apps
Agnes (Donald’s ‘Girl’) - Katherine Apps