It’s Christmas 2010, 40 years since the Blitz and 80 year old Frank Roberts didn’t expect to spend his Advent with teenagers Alia, Sumaya and Michelle working their community service in his back garden.

The girls are equally unimpressed but, despite being taunted by the bad boys, once they get going, they find various ways to amuse themselves – one of which is dipping into a forbidden treasure chest of secrets; secrets which take us back to war-torn Islington 1940, when Community Service was a very different thing indeed.

Over six weeks we held interviews with the elderly members of the Peel Institute. The aim was to encourage people to recollect personal stories and share their experiences of living in Islington and Kings Cross. We gathered a rich, varied overview of life in the area over the past 70 years with particular emphasis on the impact of the Second World War. This resource material formed the basis of a script developed with students from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson school. We are currently rehearsing with young people from the Young Actors Theatre and professional actors to be performed for the opening of the Assembly Hall on Friday 5th March. The action of the play takes place both in modern day and 1940 giving a unique perspective on life in the area now and during the Second World War. This project particularly aims to mark the 70th anniversary of the start of the war and recognize the experiences of local residents living through that era.

Cast

David McGillivray
Simone Stewart
Megan Power Rice
Vivian Oparah
Hannah Lee
Sally Rose
Hayden Thomas
Hamzir Amir
James Wootton
Brittany O’Neill
Sam Rankin
Mark Sands

Crew

Director – Mark Rose
Writers – Sally Rose, Mark Sands