Somme Theatre

Somme Theatre

Re-enactment of a senior officer shouting at First World War soldiers
A still from the play commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme

Your Heritage

Bishop's
Lambeth
The Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000
£46100
One hundred participants worked with the Old Vic Theatre Trust and the Imperial War Museum (IWM) to research, develop and produce a professional quality play to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

The Old Vic Theatre Trust, near Waterloo Station in London, was established in 1818 and commissions and produces plays for the community.

This project commemorated the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, and centred on the First World War archives and collections held by the IWM, London. These included soldiers’ diaries and letters, official military documents, photographs and a wide range of artefacts from personal items to tanks and aeroplanes.

The Old Vic Theatre Trust worked in partnership with the IWM to research, develop and produce a play to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Over 100 participants were recruited from Lambeth and Southwark, from all age groups and cultural and economic backgrounds. Around half of these became the cast, and half worked behind the scenes. A professional playwright wrote the script, and research was carried out by the participants using the resources and collections of the IWM. The atrium was converted into a theatre, using tanks and aircraft as part of the set design. The play was performed over one week, and all tickets were free. The play was recorded onto DVD and a short version was taken into schools, with workshops, supported by online learning materials. The whole project lasted 14 months.