Jude Cole
The heart is torn from a sleepy English village by the tragic events of the first day of the Somme. This play, devised by young people for a young cast, explores the fine line which divides loyalty and duty; love and obsession. A haunting tale which asks the question: could you make the ultimate sacrifice for a brother in arms?
• Originally devised by yr11 students
• Works extremely well in performance
• Contains play text as well as background and classroom activities
• Also has suggestions for performance
Deliberately aimed at a younger audience. This is an original play which is aimed at 15 /16 year olds, regarding the First World War.
Leaving the girl they both love behind them, the antagonism between Tom, a worker on a country estate in Yorkshire and Edmund, the squire’s son, is taken to the trenches of the Western Front, where old rivalries grow into an obsessional hatred. Set against the catastrophic events of July 1st 1916, a single moment of choice -duty or friendship- leads to devastating consequences for all of them.
Last Man Standing explores the moral issues involved in the deaths of those shot at dawn during The Great War. The raw emotions and human cost of why this punishment was carried out - and its effect on those who were left behind - is at the emotional heart of the play.
“The actors all seem very young to be playing the soldiers in this First World War drama. That is, until you remember they are probably the same age as those who did join up, only to be plunged into battle…It is a fast-paced piece in which the relentless nature of war is well and truly felt.”
Review in The Scotsman 24.08.07 - Last Man Standing
(performed by Wales High School, dir Scott Ellis)
About the author
Jude Cole has taught English and Drama for over 30 years; most of the time at Wales High School near Sheffield. Her interest in the Great War came initially from teaching Literature at GCSE and A level, but then came the discovery that her Great Uncle had died on the Somme in 1917 – suddenly it became a lot more personal.
Pub date: 1 Feburary 2014
ISBN: 978-1-908336-95-8
Format: 152x229mm
Binding: Paperback
Extent: 130pp
Price: £12.99
Publisher: Tommies Guides
Imprint: Reveille Press
BIC Classifications:
First World War (HBWN)
Plays, Play scripts (DD)
First World War, 1914-1918 (3JJF)
