First World War letters inspired one man show for town actor - The Evesham Observer

First World War letters inspired one man show for town actor

Evesham Editorial 27th Nov, 2021   0

HELP for Heroes was the beneficiary of a special one-man show at The Henrician which took audiences back to the First World War.

Written and performed by Evesham actor Tom Simpson, ‘Dear Ted’ took to the stage to a full house on Saturday (November 20) with two shows in aid of the much-loved charity.

Directed by Josh Righton, ‘Dear Ted’ is a one man show written and performed by Tom based on letters written by his great great uncle Fred Hughes to his brother Ted when serving on the Western Front as a Territorial soldier during the First World War.

Tom’s inspiration came about after having come across extracts in a book published by the National Trust called ‘The Country House at War’ which includes the letters written by Fred Hughes.




With a mix of song and humour Tom skillfully conveyed Fred’s journey from his routine life at home to the experiences of fighting on the Western Front where he experienced his share of high and low times.

Much of the dialogue is taken verbatim from the letter extracts and audiences were treated a minimal yet versatile set, wartime song, and a private on a mission.


“This piece is a way of keeping Fred’s memory alive, representing a host of heroes, like him, from that war,” Tom said.

Ian Baldry from Help for Heroes said: “Our hearty congratulations to Tom for his quite outstanding performance.A memorable occasion.

“We are most grateful for the donations kindly made by members of the audience. With 97 per cent of our funding coming from the public, their ongoing support is essential for the charity to be able to provide the necessary ongoing care for our wounded veterans”.

Help for Heroes provides a range of physical and mental health assessments, treatment and support to those veterans who have suffered a life changing injury or illness during or as a result of their military service.

The charity gives them and their loved ones, the strength to recover and get on with their lives.

Visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk for more.

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