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History at Large Atlantic

devised by George Fleming Salisbury Arts Centre 17th, 18th, 19th April 1997

Those of you who saw "Nelson" and "Half a League Onward" will already be aware that tonight you are in for a history lesson (the phrase that dare not speak its name!). The main difference tonight is that we are not simply using a narrator and static readers, but actors and singers, who will try to portray some of our themes in the form of "playlets" - or "vignettes", if you want a more stylish word. We will also be employing our tried and true "mix" of sound effects and slides. The aim, as always with "HISTORY AT LARGE" is to try and tell the story through a fusion of techniques - lecturing, acting, audio-visual - and in so doing create an evening's informative entertainment. Our story tonight is about the Battle of the Atlantic. This was the longest continuous action of the Second World War. The first ship was sunk on September 3rd, 1939, within hours of Britain declaring war, and the last on May 7th, 1945, after the cease-fire order had actually gone out on both sides. Over 30,000 British Merchant Seamen died in the War, and almost 26,000 U-boat crew - most of them in the Atlantic. The Battle was fought over immense spaces and involved every kind of participation, from the policy making of major statesmen to the skill and endurance of sailors on both sides. Finally, one of its prime motivators was the fight to destroy, or maintain, the will to fight of the ordinary Briton - more than half of whose essential foodstuffs had to be shipped in from overseas. We have tried to tell this vast story in two hours. Inevitably, we have had to leave much (too much!) out. Some of you may feel that we have made wrong choices here, but if we leave you with some "feel" for what happened and some hard knowledge, we will rest content. George Fleming

On the left a U-boat preparing to crashdive; on the right oil and foam are all that remain of it. The photographs were taken by the aircraft which sank the vessel.

CAST Narrator - George Fleming Interlocutors - Ruth Buckingham, Izzy Ford Churchill - George Todd Roosevelt - Christian Jull R.N. Captain - George Goulding RN. 1st Lieutenant - Damon Scott Merchant Captain / Spiv - Joe Rooney German S.N.O. (Doenitz) - Graham Paramor U-boat Captain - Cameron Loadman U-boat 1st Lieutenant / Shipbuilder - Alec Clapperton Mrs Harrison - Debbie Rose Rivetter - Stephen Hall Mother - Dee Mansfield Kathy - Laura Buckingham Persons from the Ministry - Carrie Jones, Sallie Lloyd Soloists - Nikki Angel, Carrie Jones Other characters played by members of the cast MUSICIANS Piano - Michael Warren Keyboard - Graham Jull Saxaphone - Ron Jull CREW Director - George Fleming Producer - Sue Paramor Musical Director - Michael Warren Stage Manager - Lisa Marley Assist. Stage Mgrs - Rashida Woodbridge, Mandy Kirkham Lighting / Slides - Steve Lucas, Chris Evans Sound - Luther Hindley, Stephen Dillon Props - Geoffrey Robinson Make-Up - Jenna Hill Poster / Programme - Izzy Ford DOCUMENTARY CREW (from BA Film & TV Course, Salisbury College) Stephen Quan, Najma Abdulla, Stuart Woodman, Mark Vigna, Richard Townsend THANKS TO Salisbury Arts Centre, for their co-operation in, and help with, this project, and especially to: Jill Low, Centre Director George Goulding, Box Office Catherine Sandbrook, Manager Ricky Fonseca, Lighting SPECIAL THANKS TO Barry Keel for his invaluable help in solving innumerable problems of layout, sightlines, setting, etc. Bob Bregazzi for all his support James Hart, (Handcrafted Wood) Selkirk for donating the large model ships Phillip Peel for loan of slide projector and some of the slides Togs Fancy Dress Hire for costumes Mary Rawlinson for scaffolding and help with construction Ron Jull for transport Salisbury Drama Association for their kind donation Many thanks to all who have supported us in this venture For more information about History at Large please contact us

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