A play about the extraordinary life of Great War poet Wilfred Owen will be performed next month at St. George’s Hall, Liverpool. A Dream Of Wilfred Owen by David Charters will be staged in the Concert Room of the iconic landmark building on Friday, 17 October, starting at 7.30pm.
Known as the soldiers’ poet, the story will be told from the perspective of Wilfred’s ghost who will take the audience on a journey back to the time of World War One. The story follows real and imagined events in Owen’s life, from growing up in Birkenhead where his father, Tom, was master of the busy Woodside railway station, to his own war experiences in the trenches.
A Dream of Wilfred Owen has been written by Merseyside journalist David Charters. David has been a journalist for almost 50 years, including 25 years as a columnist on the Liverpool Daily Post. He now writes the Bard of Birkenhead column, which appears in the Wirral edition of the Liverpool Echo every Friday.
The dramatic 70-minute play is a departure from the media for David, who has published two books about Merseyside’s history, as well as a compilation of his humorous musings.
Not only has David written the play, he will also be playing the part of Wilfred’s ghost.
Writer David Charters explains, “Writing this play was a challenge to which I have devoted years of energy and passion. I hope it will help audiences appreciate Owen’s peculiar view of life, and how even the horrors of war did not destroy his belief in the essential good to be found in humanity.
“I have created two passages in the story, though in their dramatic form they symbolise the development of Owen and his poetry. Writing this play has been the fulfilment of an ambition that has been with me for many years. And to have the opportunity to perform in the Concert Room of St. George’s Hall, which has heard the voices of so many great writers, is a huge honour.”
As a prelude to the play, there will be a reading of other poems by Wilfred Owen. Several popular songs of the day are included in the play along with actors from theatre company LoveHistory.
Tickets for A Dream of Wilfred Owen in the Concert Room at St. George’s Hall on Friday 17th October are priced at £10. Tickets can be purchased from TicketQuarter on 0844 8000 410, online at www.ticketquarter.co.uk or in person at Ticketquarter on Queen Square, Liverpool.