Kenilworth theatre actors have celebrated the Royal British Legion’s Centenary by performing in an audio show of war poetry readings

The Talisman Theatre actors have read pieces such as Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen and In Flanders' Fields by John McCrae for the piece which can be listened to online from Friday May 14.
The Talisman Theatre Company Logo.The Talisman Theatre Company Logo.
The Talisman Theatre Company Logo.

Actors of The Talisman Theatre in Kenilworth have celebrated the Royal British Legion’s Centenary by performing in an audio show of war poetry readings which can be listened to online from Friday (May 14).

The poems will include well known pieces such as Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen and In Flanders' Fields by John McCrae. along with more modern pieces such as Life on Hold: an Ade to PTSD by Graham Cordwell.

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The poems will beset to images including footage from the Battle of Verdun and The Falklands War along with other images designed to make listeners think about the impact of serving on our veterans.

Royal British Legion logoRoyal British Legion logo
Royal British Legion logo

The music Only Remembered by Horatius Bonar has been performed by folk group Romany Pie.

Dave Crossfield who directed the actors said: ‘It’s been a pleasure to help put together this piece for ‘Tea with The Tali’ marking the 100th year of The Royal British Legion's excellent work supporting the military personnel who have defended Great Britain and the Commonwealth.”

The Royal British Legion was formed in the aftermath of the First World War when four organisations came together to fight the injustices faced by those returning home after service – and became the British Legion in 1921.

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From the beginning, it has campaigned for the fair treatment of those who had given so much for their country during the war and provided much needed welfare support and comradeship to millions.​​

George Illingworth, patron of the Talisman Theatre and chairman of the Kenilworth Branch of the Royal British Legion added: ‘I am delighted the theatre is marking the centenary of the Legion.

"As the second oldest branch in Warwickshire, formed on June 4 1921, our members would, in normal times, have been marking the occasion this weekend with a public event.

"I’m grateful the people of Kenilworth and beyond can still listen to the poems and remember both the fallen, our armed forces community and the work of the Royal British Legion over the past 100 years."

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The theatre has been producing short audio plays every week for a year under the Tea with the Tali banner.

The plays have proved very popular with the 50 pieces offered so far attracting 18,000 listens.

The centenary play will be available to listen to from Friday on the www.talismantheatre.co.uk website.

All of the other short plays are listed on the home page.

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