The Accrington Pals

Synopsis

Early in September 1914 the Mayor of Accrington called for 100 men to form a battalion. Over 1200 men volunteered in only ten days. Near Somme at 7.30a.m. in the bright sunshine of 1st July 1916 over 700 Accrington Pals advanced from their trenches. As they came across the 300 yards of 'No Man's Land' they were swept by machine gun and rifle fire. In less than twenty minutes most dead or wounded. Not one man wavered or turned back. This moving play tells their story and that of their wives and sweethearts.

Our Review:

23 January 2013

World War 1 is not short of horror stories. The saga of The Accrington Pals stands out as a particularly upsetting example of the human cost of the conflict. The impact is exaggerated because it started out as a symbol of the willingness of smaller communities to do their bit. ‘Pals Battalions’ were intended to attract volunteers willing to serve on condition their battalion comprised friends, neighbours and workmates.

Accrington, and its surrounding neighbours, gave a major boost to morale as the smallest community to raise a battalion. The reverse was true when rumours trickled back to Accrington that, of 1,000 men, 850 died in service -235 of them in just 20 minutes during the Big Push at the Somme. Accrington was so small almost every family lost a relative and the community was forced to march on the town hall and compel politicians to tell the truth.

All of the ingredients are present for a powerful drama but the new production at the Royal E...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

No reviews yet

Click here to add your review