Two worlds or one?
Peter Fishpool reflects on an award-winning production
A play about the experiences of wounded soldiers, in their own words, is currently touring. The Two Worlds of Charlie F won an Amnesty Freedom of Expression award. A documentary about it was shown on BBC1. The drama is based on interviews with thirty-two wounded veterans, mostly from Afghanistan. The current cast includes eight of the veterans along with seven actors. The producer Alice Driver intended ‘to boost the confidence, self esteem and give a voice to the wounded, injured and sick’. As a former drama teacher I understand using drama as therapy. I saw the show at Malvern where ninety-five per cent of the audience gave it a standing ovation. The final speech by Charlie F argues that we do not live in two worlds – we live in one. I understood he was asking for veterans to be fully integrated back into everyday life.
You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.