Greater Game play telling the story of Clapton Orient’s major contribution to World War One is showing at Southwark Playhouse next month
PUBLISHED: 08:00 15 August 2016
Leyton Orient's badge outside Brisbane Road (pic: Play With A Legend).
Mathew Parri Thomas 2016
Michael Head has wrote play based on Steve Jenkins book ‘They took the lead’ to help tell story of O’s players being first footballers to sign up to fight
A play called the Greater Game, telling the story of the 41 men who swapped the football pitches of east London for the battle fields of the Somme, is running at the Southwark Playhouse this time next month.
Leyton Orient, known as Clapton Orient back in December 1914, were the first team to sign up its players and staff to fight in the Great War.
41 people associated with the O’s volunteered and three of them, Richard McFadden, William Jonas and George Scott, never returned.
The show is based on Steve Jenkins’ book ‘They took the lead’ which tells the story of Clapton Orient’s major contribution to World War One.
Michael Head has decided to write the play and it is being co-produced by Head, ex-O’s forward Peter Kitchen and Jenkins, who is vice-chairman of the Leyton Orient Supporters Club.
It will run for four weeks at Southwark Playhouse, starting on Thursday September 15 and finishing on October 15.
Tilly Vosburgh is directing the play and the cast includes a host of famous faces from recent times.
Nick Hancock is involved alongside Charlie Clemence, remembered for his role of Bradley Branning in Eastenders, and Danny Walters plus many more.
The play is proudly sponsored by the Royal British Legion in association with the Players Football Association as part of the centenary commemorations of the Battle of the Somme and Sports Remembers campaign.
For tickets, visit southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show/the-greater-game/.
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