The Accrington Pals.

[Claire15]

In association with Help for Heroes, final year degree students at the University of Cumbria are performing 'The Accrington Pals' by Peter Whelan.

The Accrington Pals runs from 12th to 15th January 2011 at The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster.

“…Fall in you happy warriors! Get fell in the Pals! Move yourselves you glorious dead!”

A moving and uncompromising play set in Accrington during the first few years of the First World War which tells the story of the innocent and enthusiastic men who volunteered for Kitchener’s army and the women who were left behind.

The Accrington Pals were probably the best remembered of all the battalions raised in the early months of the First World War in response to Kitchener's call for a volunteer army. Groups of friends from all walks of life in Accrington and its neighbouring towns enlisted together to form a battalion with a distinctive local identity. In its first major action, the battalion suffered devastating losses in the attack on Serre on 1st July 1916. Of the 720 original members of the battalion 584 were killed, wounded or missing on this, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.

The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE
Box Office 01524 598500
eMail [email protected]
the Dukes

Wed. 12th to Sat. 15th January 2011
All performances begin at 8.00 pm

Friday & Saturday: Full Price £10 / Concessions £6
Wednesday & Thursday: Full Price £6 / Concessions £4


Also, we're creating a memorabilia wall in the foyer of the theatre, which will have pictures and newspaper articles of the pals, so I would like to offer people the chance to send me pictures etc, which will be placed upon the wall. Thus, keeping the memory of those who fell, alive.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you would like any more details.
Many thanks,
Claire.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Claire15

In association with Help for Heroes, final year degree students at the University of Cumbria are performing 'The Accrington Pals' by Peter Whelan.

The Accrington Pals runs from 12th to 15th January 2011 at The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster.

“…Fall in you happy warriors! Get fell in the Pals! Move yourselves you glorious dead!”

A moving and uncompromising play set in Accrington during the first few years of the First World War which tells the story of the innocent and enthusiastic men who volunteered for Kitchener’s army and the women who were left behind.

The Accrington Pals were probably the best remembered of all the battalions raised in the early months of the First World War in response to Kitchener's call for a volunteer army. Groups of friends from all walks of life in Accrington and its neighbouring towns enlisted together to form a battalion with a distinctive local identity. In its first major action, the battalion suffered devastating losses in the attack on Serre on 1st July 1916. Of the 720 original members of the battalion 584 were killed, wounded or missing on this, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.
The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE
Box Office 01524 598500
eMail [email protected]
the Dukes

Wed. 12th to Sat. 15th January 2011
All performances begin at 8.00 pm

Friday & Saturday: Full Price £10 / Concessions £6
Wednesday & Thursday: Full Price £6 / Concessions £4


Also, we're creating a memorabilia wall in the foyer of the theatre, which will have pictures and newspaper articles of the pals, so I would like to offer people the chance to send me pictures etc, which will be placed upon the wall. Thus, keeping the memory of those who fell, alive.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you would like any more details.
Many thanks,
Claire.

Those numbers you quote are misleading, the battalion strength was over 1000 officers and men.
The 720 was the fighting strength af the battalion, the remainder were support staff, ie Cooks, Muleteers, signallers, Stretcher bearers, Runners, Ammo & Stores Men, Head Quarters Staff, Sentries, & dozens of others doing jobs to keep the men at the front supplied,
When the survivors of that battle nswered the roll call on July 5th, less than 100 men were accounted for.

so I would like to offer people the chance to send me pictures etc, which will be placed upon the wall.
Thats very generous of you.

The only pictures still available are in the William Turner Collection which is in a sealed file, and not available for such projects, or the 500 or so in my collection, stored on this computer. ]The memory of the Pals is kept alive thro my displays at the Howarth Art Gallery.Retlaw

[Bob Dobson]

I saw this play in Covent Garden about 1980. Very moving. Highly recommended. It should be required viewing for every Accringtonian. I'll be there. Accrington library provide specially-printed copies of the Observers of the time as props.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

I saw this play in Covent Garden about 1980. Very moving. Highly recommended. It should be required viewing for every Accringtonian. I'll be there. Accrington library provide specially-printed copies of the Observers of the time as props.

All I can say is tha easy suited, I read that script years ago, and it was a load of tripe, Accrington MEN, and I mean when Accrington MEN were MEN, didn't talk to women like that script portrays.
I was in Accy Library a couple of years ago when some members of a play group, were researching the Accrington Pals, one of them was talking to me, and behind & unknown to me at the time, were three of the cast with tape recorders, none of them had ever heard a proper Lancashire dialect before, without the proper dialect its rubbish, and some of the phraseology is crap as well. If a proper broad Lanky dialect was spoken, folk in that dump called London, wouldn't understand a word.

Retlaw.

[Tealeaf]

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

I saw this play in Covent Garden about 1980. Very moving. Highly recommended. It should be required viewing for every Accringtonian. I'll be there. Accrington library provide specially-printed copies of the Observers of the time as props.

Yo Bob! I saw it too - it was at the Donmar Warehouse.

I remember at the end of the show the cast asked if there were any people from Accy in the audience and about half a dozen hands went up.

You never know - we could have been there the same night.

I also saw an excellent version back in the early '90's at a theatre in Whitechapel, although the Accy accent was awful, as you could imagine.

[US Angel]

Maybe I will be able to get to this show