“Ever since we staged ‘1915’ [in 2015], people have been asking us when there would be another one,” Lithgow City Band’s Don White said.
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And here it is.
Combining music and dramatic scenes, ‘1915’, a play written by Don White, was staged at the Union Theatre as a testament, Mr White said, to young men going off to war, the struggles of those who stayed behind and the horrors they endured.
Composer Ian Munro’s stand alone piece, ‘The Lads from Lithgow’ was woven through the performance, as were other pieces of music from the time.
Now actors are needed to bring the story to life.
Auditions will be held on Saturday, June 23, for the follow up play written by Mr White, ‘1918 – Back from the Brink’, marking the centenary since the final year of World War I.
‘1918’ will be a completely new production, based on new characters and themes.
“I’m not a playwright,” Mr White said, “but I believed this was a vehicle to express the human folly, the horrors of the war and its aftermath.”
Ten members of the Lithgow City Band trooped off to war as part of the 20th Battalion serving as stretcher bearers and as bandsmen. Two of them never returned.
‘1918 – Back from the Brink’ will be set in Australia and on the Western Front, following the lives and trials of two fictional band members, one of whom is a serious musician studying at tertiary level and has no desire to fight, but finds himself following his friend’s steps to enlist. Told partly in flashback, the story explores the war itself, the hardship veterans faced when returning home and the restorative power of music.
“I wanted to show the power of music to transcend, to comfort, to inspire, to encourage people in the hardest of times,” Mr White said.
It is likely the performance will include community singing, which was a popular part of the ‘1915’ performance. The play will also reflect the ongoing conscription referendum debate at home, which drew protests.
‘1918’ will be directed for stage by Brett Jeffers, with musical direction by Toni Turner.
Auditions will be held at the Band Hall in Lithgow on Saturday, June 23 at Wylde Street, Lithgow, from 9am. For more information, or to book an audition time, call Don White on 0413 034 508 or email lithgowcitybandinfo@gmail.com.