A Distant Country, written by Sylvia Le Bretton, was performed over four nights at The Civic Theatre in Barnsley town centre. The cast included 60 local people - actors, vocalists and dancers and included some members of the Polish community in Barnsley.
I didn't know what to expect, I'd heard that the story was based on the experiences of a Polish Family, what happened to them during the 2nd World War and the experiences of one member of the family in particular who came to live in Cawthorne.
Having seen the final performance, I would like to congratulate every one involved including the very talented writer, Sylvia Le Bretton, the cast and everyone involved in putting together and staging the production. I was soon engrossed and remained so from start to finish. I also learn't something about the plight of the Polish people, during the second world war, which I previously hadn't been aware of.
There was both humour and sadness and the story was cleverly revealed through a series of flash backs. It is great to see so many people of all ages, backgrounds and talents come together and put on such a wonderful show.
If A Distant Country is anything to go by, I will certainly be looking out for future productions by Grass Roots Theatre Group.
http://www.grass-roots.org.uk/