A live theatre performance to commemorate the centenary of the end of the Great War, created together by people from England and Germany.
A unique Anglo German theatre production, called Echoes of Wartime, will be staged in Crediton Congregational Church this October to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
The show is based on true stories about people from Crediton and Fulda, the town in central Germany where St Boniface is buried. Nowadays the towns are closely linked by a strong bond of friendship, but during the Great War of 1914-1918 they were mortal enemies.
“We want to discover and share the similarities as well as the differences between the experiences in Fulda and in Crediton during the First World War”, said Anthony Richards, Artistic Director of the project. ‘We’ve heard much about the fighting in trenches, but our interest is in the impact of the war on ordinary people living in our two towns at an extraordinary time.”
The production is the result of three years collaboration between the Devon-based theatre company Common Players and two companies in Fulda, Theatre Mittendrin and FTF Theatre.
Much of the research for the project was done by local writer, Mary Stephenson, who delved into archives and read diaries and newspaper articles in both Crediton and Fulda, to learn about the experiences and thoughts of real people during the war. “Both the English and Germans believed that God was on their side,” said Mary. ”Amazingly I discovered that the German national anthem at the outbreak of WW1 shared the same tune as our own.”
A core of professional actors from both countries will be joined by local performers and musicians, including students from QE Academy, to present a theatrical event involving drama, music and dance. It will be performed first at Crediton Congregational Church from 11th to 13th October and then in Fulda on 19th and 20th October.