Private Peaceful at Waterside

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Private Peaceful at Waterside

Private Peaceful at Waterside, Manchester 20 September 2019 Tickets from £12.50 — Book now

Michael Morpurgo’s Blue Peter ‘Book of the Year, Private Peaceful, adapted for the stage by Simon Reade comes to Waterside. Recommended for ages 8 and up, Private Peaceful tells the story of Private Tommo Peaceful, a young First World War soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn.

This moving single-hander manages to portray both the horror of war and the joyfulness of living. During the night, Private Peaceful reflects on his short but joyful past: his schooldays, growing up in rural Devon, the time spent with his father, his sweetheart, and the injustices that brought him to the front line of battle.

We love how theatre can engage young audiences with different historical perspectives.

Morpurgo’s inspiration for Private Peaceful came following the publication of War Horse when he attended a conference for children’s writers and illustrators in Ypres. The conference was held in the war museum in Flanders Fields. During his time there, Morpurgo became intrigued by a framed typed letter he saw on a wall. The letter had been sent by a captain in the army to the mother of a soldier, informing her that her son had been shot at dawn for cowardice. Moved by the mother’s grief, Morpurgo felt compelled to find out about the soldiers who had been executed and to raise awareness of their story.

This moving single-hander manages to portray both the horror of war and the joyfulness of living.

Around a quarter of a million teenage boys marched off from Britain 100 years ago, often signed up under-age, totally unprepared for the horrors of modern warfare, Morpurgo’s story tells just one of them.

Running at around 75 minutes long, Simon Reade’s stage adaptation communicates from the viewpoint of a young ordinary soldier. Above all, we love how theatre can engage young audiences with different historical perspectives.

Private Peaceful at Waterside, Manchester 20 September 2019 Tickets from £12.50 Book now

Performances

Date
Time
Session Features
20 September 2019
7:30pm — 9:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

What's on at Waterside

Until
ActivitySale
Prism: Light Trail

This winter you can see a series of light installations through Sale Town Centre, designed by children and young people from the borough.

free entry

Where to go near Private Peaceful at Waterside

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

Manchester
Park
Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

Manchester
Park
Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

Sale
Restaurant
Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

Beech Road, Chorlton
Restaurant
Mish Mash

Cocktails and craft beer along side a menu of British food ‘with a twist’. Mish Mash is currently closed for a refurb.

longford park ben williams
Manchester
Park
Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

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