A school has offered a festive counterbalance as a play which focuses on trenches, rather than Christmas trees, will premiere tonight (Thursday, December 5) at the Aldridge Theatre.
The trauma and triumph of WWI heroes will be explored by Frensham Heights School in their powerful take on Regeneration.
The adaptation of Pat Barker’s Booker Prize-winning novel will transport the audience to 1917 and Craiglockhart War Hospital where soldiers confront the haunting effects of battle and trauma.
Real-life figures like poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon are guided by psychologist William Rivers.
They navigate the emotional struggles of war and forge unexpected bonds in crisis in a show that combines raw storytelling with immersive physical movement.
Frensham Heights has hit a rich vein of theatrical form as Regeneration follows a striking senior school adaptation of Frankenstein while the juniors impressed with their take on Matilda.
“Our school’s dedicate ensemble cast will bring the gripping narrative to life, exploring both the psychological toll of warfare and the resilience of the human spirit,” said a spokesperson.
The curtain will lift at 7.15pm with a further show at the same time on Friday and a 2pm matinee on Saturday.
Tickets are available through https://www.frensham.org/regeneration