Wigan playwright David Chriscole’s debut theatre show launches tonight at The Kings Arms Theatre, giving a voice to veteran’s silent battles.
The play, Citadel, runs at The Kings Arms from Tuesday 11 September until Saturday 15 September 2018 and is produced by Devilish Accord Productions.
The one act play explores the day-to-day experiences of William, a former British serviceman and veteran of Afghanistan. Tortured by intrusive memories of his experiences on patrol, he faces symptoms of combat PTSD in a drama of friendship, grief and hope.
Citadel has been inspired by Chriscole’s own time serving in the army during the 1980s as a member of the Royal Pioneers. Speaking about writing Citadel, Chriscole commented, “The whole subject found me really. I’d enrolled in a playwriting course run by Studio Salford to learn more about how to write for the stage. I hit a problem with the story I was building, and was contemplating it during Remembrance weekend in 2016. As I thought about my own military life and the friends I’d left behind, I suddenly became aware of a solution for my play, and something I needed to express.”
Citadel is performed at The Kings Arms
On the issue of PTSD being covered in Citadel, he adds, “I’ve seen a great deal of Independent (Fringe) Theatre over the last few years, and depictions of mental health issues are commonly highly charged, traumatic and deeply emotional. I wanted to tell a story that was more about how the sufferer copes in the aftermath of the turmoil. How do they see the world they live in? How do they interact with people during their long recovery? How do others perceive the sufferer?”
When does Citadel run at Salford’s Kings Arms?
Citadel runs from 11-15 September 2018 at The Kings Arms, Salford, from 7.30pm-8.30pm. The cast includes Andrew Bentley ( Blake Crosby, Emmerdale, ITV) as William, Beth Hunter (Megan, Ackley Bridge Series 2, C4) as Amanda and Corin Silva (How You Love Me, Unheard Theatre) as Justin.
Citadel is written by David Chriscole, directed by Grace Cordell, with Sound Design by Dan Pyke.
