Schools all over North Devon worked with Multi Story Theatre Company on Gallipoli projects, and we’re delighted to present these here. They follow the stories of the local men who went to Gallipoli and the families they left at home, and were entirely based on the soldiers’ letters and diaries. The ten short films show the productions in development and the last video shows the final drama presentations, performed in Barnstaple on 26th November 2015.

Ilfracombe Academy looked at recruitment and how young men were shamed into signing up

A second piece by Ilfracombe Academy students followed the soldiers’ journey out to Gallipoli

Students from Pilton College developed a piece on life in the trenches

The death of Major Morland John Greig on 17th October 1915 was the subject chosen by these Pilton College students for their play

More men from the Royal North Devon Hussars were lost to dysentery than to enemy action, as these students from Pilton College found out

To add to the soldiers’ problems, there was a dreadful blizzard on 26th-27th November, and students from Braunton Academy explored this in their play

At Braunton Academy, students were intrigued about the way the evacuation was carefully planned, as shown in this drama piece

‘Goodbye Gallipoli’ – a group from Braunton Academy reenact the evacuation, fitting in some notes of humour as they go

After leaving Gallipoli, the Royal North Devon Hussars arrived in Egypt where many found letters waiting for them, as these Braunton Academy students discovered

These students from Pilton Community College look at the story of a returning hero – but did the 18 year old deserve his VC?

The final drama presentations (1 hr 20 minutes)