Poppyfields to return to the stage

Poppyfields - The Musical, received such a positive response when it was premiered in Shrewsbury that it will return to Theatre Severn in September for four further performances.

The musical was written by former Shropshire head teacher John Howard who spend eight years writing it and collaborating with composers.

When it took to the stage in February the cast members were overwhelmed to see audiences rise to their feet in a standing ovation.

The reaction prompted the show’s production team to announce a return to Theatre Severn in September for four further performances.

Mr Howard said theatre goers were reduced to tears as poppies fell from the ceiling of the main auditorium.

The story had weaved its way from the Homefront in 1916, to the heart of the trenches on the Western Front, ending with a moving Finale of Remembrance.

The writer says he hopes the musical will be seen as a welcome contribution to this year’s centenary commemorations.

“The standing ovations shocked the cast and possibly the audience.

"As one, the whole theatre rose and applauded and cheered for a frantic three minutes. No one in the cast, amateur or professional had witnessed anything like it before.

"We have decided that this cannot be the end, so are excited to announce the extra performance dates in September 2018. These will now fall within the excellent ‘Hundred Days Programme’ planned for Shropshire, ending on Nov 11, exactly one hundred years since fighting stopped in 1918.”

The day after the final performance in February, assistant director, Dave Hughes-Beddows took the poppy wreath that was used in The Finale of Remembrance on stage across the Channel with him and laid it at Menin Gate in Ypres.

Tickets for the newly scheduled, final four performances from September 13-15, including a Saturday matinee can be purchased by calling the Box Office on 01743 281281 or via the website www.theatresevern.co.uk.