Private Peaceful (Ensemble version)

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Private Peaceful (Ensemble version)

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  5w, 14m

Private Peaceful
by Michael Morpurgo
adapted by Simon Reade

Michael Morpurgo's moving story of a young soldier, killed by firing squad in the First World War.

This adaptation is for ensemble casts - a version for solo actors is also available.

Private Peaceful (Ensemble version)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 14m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature), Docudrama/History

Details

Summary

“I’ve had nearly eighteen years of yesterdays and tomorrows, and tonight I must remember as many of them as I can. Tonight, more than any other night of my life, I want to feel alive!”

Private Peaceful relives the life of Private Tommo Peaceful, a young First World War soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn. During the night, he looks back at his short but joyful past growing up in rural Devon: his exciting first days at school; the accident in the forest that killed his father; his adventures with Molly, the love of his life; and the battles and injustices of war that brought him to the front line.


DEVON

TOMMO – Thomas Peaceful
CHARLIE – his older brother
BIG JOE – their older brother
JAMES PEACEFUL – their father
HAZEL PEACEFUL – their mother
GRANDMA WOLF – their mother’s aunt

MR MUNNINGS – the school master
MISS MCALLISTER – Tommo’s school teacher
MOLLY – Charlie and Tommo’s friend
NIPPER – a Biggun at school, later on the Front Line
PETER – a Biggun at school, later on the Front Line
LES - a Tiddler at school, son of a rat catcher, later on the Front Line
JIMMY PARSONS - Charlie's and Tommo's school enemy, later on the Front Line

THE COLONEL – squire of Iddesleigh

DOCTOR
PILOT
SERGEANT MAJOR
TOOTHLESS OLD LADY
TIDDLERS
BIGGUNS
HATHERLEIGH MARKET CROWD
RECRUITING SERGEANT

WAR

ARMY CHAPLAIN
SERGEANT ‘HORRIBLE’ HANLEY
BRIGADIER
WOUNDED SOLDIER
ORDERLY
CAPTAIN WILKES
ESTAMINET OWNER
ANNA – estaminet owner’s daughter
INJURED GERMAN SOLDIER
LIEUTENANT BUCKLAND
GERMAN SOLDIER IN GAS MASK
GUARD – to Charlie
HAIG
OFFICER – firing squad
SOLDIERS – from both sides
ESTAMINET STAFF
  • Time Period 1910s/WWI
  • Features Period Costumes

Media

“The horrors of war and the joyfulness of life are bound up together in this magnificent show” ***** - The Scotsman 

“As moving as the poetry of Wilfred Owen and as painfully memorable as white-hot shrapnel…” ***** - The Sunday Herald

“Morpurgo’s magic, a masterly adaptation by Simon Reade.... This is one hour of your own life you will never forget.” - Daily Mail

"Private Peaceful cuts to the heart of the human condition and brotherhood surrounding the deadly world of the trenches." - WhatsOnStage

"This is another powerful piece of work by Simon Reade." - The Reviews Hub

"Captivating from the start..." - Newark Advertiser

"This was a play that will undoubtedly have a lasting effect." - British Theatre Guide

"Tragedy tinged with hope, this story of brotherly affection foregrounds the family stories that give this most mechanised of wars its human face." - The Review Hub

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo began writing stories in the early ’70s, in response to the children in his class at the primary school where he taught in Kent. One of the UK’s best-loved authors and storytellers, Michael was appointed Children’s Laureate in 2003. He has written ...

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Simon Reade

Simon Reade has adapted Private Peaceful as an internationally touring award-winning one-man show, for schools and youth theatres, for BBC Radio 4, and as a feature film starring George Mackay and Jack O’Connell. His other Morpurgo adaptations include An Elephant in the Garde ...
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