Centenary Appeal

Marking the start of The Great War and the present withdrawal from Afghanistan 2014, Dorset’s multi-award winning AsOne Theatre Company presents a gripping new play with live music; five stories of soldiers and families 100 years apart. Interweaving newly gathered, original testimony, PASSION is poignant, funny and bravely honest. It takes you into the living room of news obsessed parents; into diaries of soldiers; down the camera lens, and over the top then and now; revealing how the ravages of war ripple down the generations. Intertwined with extensive research and dusted with experienced creative talent this is affecting theatre at its best. Touring out of Dorset into eight counties, and 20 venues, PASSION has its world premier on Wed 8 October at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange.

Creating PASSION

We searched Wessex for families with an ancestor’s WW1 diary or those with their own or family stories to tell about the present Afghanistan Conflict’. The response was wonderful and some fantastic families were chosen to be interviewed. AsOne Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Jane McKell accompanied by film and radio expert, Andy Worth recorded real stories from these Wessex families, visiting them in their homes. Jane said: “Their stories touched, amazed and thrilled us, and their recorded memories have been lodged at the Dorset History Centre as aural history; podcasts have been made as a legacy for all who wish to have access via internet links to the Cloud. This recorded research - along with some general research of Wessex’s WW1 completed by a second researcher, Jane Mongini – has become the heart of our play. Our commissioned playwright, the brilliant Stephanie Dale has interwoven these remarkable stories creating a brand new theatre piece out of testimony and extensive research. The result is an exciting mixture of verbatim theatre and researched invention dusted with the director’s and cast’s creative vision. Playwright Stephanie Dale told me the interviews we had done were as ’gold-dust’ from remarkably truthful, open people with affecting stories making her writing a mixture of joy and tears.”

The story of Lt John Thornton was one of the five stories used in the creation of 'Passion' and the company will be supporting the JTYAF and the Royal British Legion Centenary Appeal with this tour.

Tour ListCurtain up 7.30 pm unless otherwise stated

(Premiere in association with Dorchester Arts and Dorchester Town Council)

Wed 08 October 8.00 pm – Corn Exchange, Dorchester, Dorset (Tel: 01305 266 926)

Thurs 09 Hanger Farm Arts Centre, Totton, Southampton, Hampshire (Tel: 02380 667 683)

Fri 10 Oct –Mowlem Theatre, Swanage, Dorset (Tel: 01929 422 239)

Wed 15 Oct - Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton, Somerset (Tel: 01823 283 244)

Thurs 16 Oct –Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Gloucester (Tel: 01684 295 074)

Fri 17 Oct - Princess Theatre, Burnham on Sea, Somerset (Tel: 01278 784 464)

Wed 22 Oct – Budmouth School, Weymouth (PRIVATE)

Thurs 23 Oct – School Performance with workshop with workshop (PRIVATE)

Fri 24/Sat 25 Oct – Omnibus, Clapham Arts Centre, London (Tel: 02074 984 699)

Wed 29 Oct – Shaftesbury Arts Centre, Dorset (Tel: 01747 854 321)