WW1 play Bantams launches Hyde Theatre Festival

Bantams is a new play, commissioned for the Hyde Theatre Festival. The piece also visits many other venues in the North West throughout October and into November.

The play is set in 1915, The Great War Rages On. Hundreds of thousands have already enlisted. Hundreds of thousands more want to and will. But not every man who wants to enlist can. Some are too old. Or too thin. Or have poor eyes. Or poor hearing. Or a bad leg. Or …

Those that are unable to enlist must remain at home to endure accusations of cowardice, humiliation on every street, white-feathers in the morning-post Until finally, these men are given their chance. Bantams tells the story of men who could have stayed out of The Great War but chose not to.

Rob Johnston's new play Bantams opens on 30 Sept at Hyde Festival Theatre, who commissioned it to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of WW1, and runs there until 4 October.

The full dates are below:

30 Sept – 4 Oct Hyde Festival Theatre

12 Oct Partington Theatre Glossop

16 Oct St Mary's Centre Chester

17 -18 Oct – Stockport Museum

30 Oct – The Continental Preston

31 Oct – The Lowther Theate Lytham-St-Annes

1 Nov – Mill At The Pier Wigan

And here is the trailer.