Forget Me Not Review 

Forget me Not a ww1 performance by Avant Cymru at Pontypridd Museum

The night is dark and damp, the building is old and severe the welcome is sincere. As you enter the venue you are invited into the warmth of the hallway by ladies dressed in the attire of the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen; they are precise and earnest stating that the Service is about to start, the Reverend is on his way. Many are enjoying the hymnal musical notes issuing from the mighty musical organ which has pride of place in this vast area. A young boy is beside the organist; there is a solitary glance as he seeks his Mother mingling in the assembled throng, there is a rustle as the Reverend walks audibly in; people make way for him as one woman approaches him with thoughts for the Relief Fund.

“ There is more work to be done ” Reverend Richards’s statement is short and to the point.

The Order of Service in the Parish of St John’s begins with the congregation, as one, singing

Hymn Number 72 Calon Lan

Reverend Richards is sombre, his faith is plain to see, but his thoughts are shrouded; he has a decision to make and it is one that will perhaps rip the very heart out of the community. With as strong a voice as he can muster, he asks the assembled people to pray. His Sermon is sincere, there is more work to be done but, with Faith, there will come answers. A collection plate is passed around; the people give what they can. The Service continues

Hymn Number 14 Abide with me

“Men of the Valleys – you are needed at The Front” comes a strident voice from the uppermost part of the building, it is almost like God has summoned the attention of the many. Sergeant T. Harper stands tall and upright, he has a military stance as he walks forcefully along the main gallery row. His view of the assembly is shrewd, he can gauge how many men he could muster as he explains that the Army needs more men, prepared to fight for their King and country. The men in the congregation look at each other for a reaction. The young boy pretends to stand taller than his height warrants, he wants to be noticed. There is a call for men of 19 years of age and over to make a valid point as the battle against evil continues. By the time the Sergeant has reached the main area there is an orderly queue awaiting his attention.

Two brothers are the first to stand in line. They are Morgan Morgan and Samuel Morgan. Morgan appears to be the eldest, he stands sturdy and bold he wants to fight, but once the Sergeant is informed that he is a Miner, the offer of enlistment is withdrawn. Miners are needed to supply the coal that will help win the war. Morgan is bereft.

Catrin Williams, a young widow nurtures her young son James, making sure his attire is neat, and that his hair is tidy in the way only a Valley’s Mam would act, with pride and compassion. Her innermost thoughts are that her only child and son should not go down the mine, that his life would be safer in the Army. Catrin encourages him to enlist, but when James is asked his age by the Sergeant, he is informed that he is too young to volunteer, to come back in a few years’ time.

Samuel Morgan, the slighter of the two brothers, announces his intention to join the Army, he is a teacher in a local school. Samuel is accepted, the brothers are at odds with each other but the decision has been made. Further men are interviewed, as the Reverend makes his announcement that he, too, wants to enlist.

Catrin tidies James’s hair, places a ‘dai’ cap upon his head, and instructs him to lie about his age to the Sergeant; she believes that he will be too young to be on the Frontline that he will be employed as a messenger, believing he will come to no harm. The Sergeant recruits the young lad, linking up with Samuel, the Reverend and the men who have enlisted from the queue, they are given Army uniforms. Sergeant Harper commands “ATTEN’SHUN” as they march out of the building.

Hymn Number 22 Cwm Rhondda guides them on their way

Emily Davies, a woman who seems to know her own mind and with the wisdom of faith, encourages the assembly that they must now look after each other and the community as she guides them out of the area.

It is gloomy the little light that is apparent makes one feel that you are a fly caught in a spotlight, sounds rumble, there are strident calls and we find ourselves witnessing the battlefield. It is eerie, there is no sense of time, no bird song, and all is too sombre. The trench and its borders are stacked on one side; men are lined up ready to take their positions. Mortar bombs crackle through the air, stirring up a maelstrom of Dante’s Hell. There is the smell of cordite in the air as Sergeant Harper instructs his men. The former Reverend of St. John’s lies trapped in an underground tunnel, light strikes out from all sides as the bombardment continues. It reaches a crescendo as James, the young messenger rushes in. It is the worst scenario; dynamite has to be laid to clear the tunnel, the men have to move forward into no man’s land. Samuel gives the gift of an Oxo to James as he knows that it is something that he can take away from the hellhole of war, the Reverend offers the remains of a shell case to take back to the community. Inevitably, the men take their last salute from their commander as Samuel remains to ignite the explosives. James is reluctant to leave the two men known to him, as they encourage James to take their messages back to the people of their Valley, to remember them and all that they had stood for. The war has become a knot too complicated to untie. A cacophony of unabated noise drowns out any further thoughts and emotions. The men march on.

A small post office has now been established in the valley town as the years have passed. Emily Davies is the lady that knits the veins of the community, it isn’t that she is nosey she just likes to know everything – sometimes even before anyone has thought of it! Emily deals with the daily routine in a quiet manner, she is desolate realising that the many brown envelopes awaiting delivery, bear bad news. Emily remembers how her life has been, opening the curtains to see

“The sun coming up over the mountainside like an aged hunched man” Would life have been different if there had been no war, she longs for her husband who had died in the Zulu campaign. She never thought that there would be another war, and that within a generation, men would have to leave the valley to fight for their country.

“I hope you’ll not forget me, I always think of you, and remember all the happy times we’ve often had we two. I want so much to see you. I miss you such a lot, but I’m content if you promise that you’ll forget me not”

Catrin Williams has become a nurse tending to the men returning from the war, she worries about her young son, James, still believing that he has been kept out of the danger areas. Emily and Catrin talk about the people in the valley, sensing that as the years have passed, times have changed. Women are now doing some of the main jobs that only the men used to do. They exchange comments that people are walking the Pilgrims Way up on ‘our mountains’ to Penrhys to the ancient well, concluding “Those Catholics taking our water!”. Catrin shows Emily the book of poems that some of the patients from Llwynypia Hospital have written.

“Tell me THAT one again…”Emily pleads as Catrin blushes on opening the book

“Tulips” is the title with some reference to the flora of the bouquet, but its ending causes more commotion “But two lips when they meet that’s electrifying”

Emily hands her a letter from James, wherein he states that everything is well with him, but that he would like some new socks, the ones he has have been worn for several weeks. Catrin is bereft, as both women decide that they must start a women’s group and knit more socks to be sent to the men.

Morgan Morgan enters the room bringing vegetables from his allotment. Emily busies herself weighing the items and putting them into brown bags ready to hand out to the many in need. Morgan tells them of the words of A J Cook spoken at a recent meeting, and wonders what the future will hold. Emily gossips about the ‘goings on’ in the village stating that a certain person was dressed in black one day having lost her husband, only to be seen with her brother in law. Emily’s most startling observation is that the lady in question was wearing pink the next day!

“Ah! There’s a nice pink coat Mrs …. “Catrin states to a lady in the room interrupting Emily’s tale, as she takes correspondence from Emily and delivers them to the people assembled offering them varying encouragement, with some vegetables she informs one man that the items will be good for his water problems. Within the brown envelopes felt hearts are discovered.

“Here’s a letter for your Mam, Morgan” Emily hands over the brown envelope to him. Morgan reads the letter which informs them that his brother, Samuel has been killed; the details are such that his death came about whilst tunnelling.

“He hasn’t been down the mine since he was 18!” Morgan cries as they realise that this war is not a sabre brandishing one, it is a mechanised battle with scars that speak of human endeavour and sacrifice.

“Whether at the front or at the coal face, you were both doing dangerous jobs” Emily is quick to respond to Morgan’s lament that it should have been him not Samuel who went to War. Emily reads another letter addressed to the community, which announces the death of the Reverent Richards’

“James shouldn’t have gone!” Catrin screams, “I must write to the authority. He must come home”

“MAM ” there is a sound from the doorway as James enters his arm bandaged from an injury sustained. Catrin runs to him and embraces him, as he tells of his experience and of the last time he saw the two men. James puts the shell case on a shelf, they will remember them.

“It’s not the man who has the most who gives the most away” Morgan states as history unravels a century on. People are lead outside to place the felt hearts on a mounted wreath. Each heart has the name of a loved one lost in ww1. “The Last Post” is sounded and silence is observed, with only the gentle sound of the flowing of the River Taff being heard in the background.

This was a play by AVANT CYMRU telling the story inspired by the community of a time when society could be divided, yet united in one cause. The Valleys ww1 Story was typified with its community and social ideals. The effects were tremendous as experiencing being ‘under fire’ left you with spine tingling goose pumps. The trench added to the atmospheric effects being from the Winding House at Tredegar. At times it was poignant, emotional, and passionate, there was laughter; there were calls to arms, religion and war, eloquent monologues and above all the belief of telling a story. It was interactive so that you were invited into the cauldron of the revivalist years of religion, the beacon of trade unions, and the horrors of war. It’s about taking people to where you are and getting them to experience it. It is living history, but then, will we ever learn?

Reverend Richards Matthew Bool

Sergeant T. Harper Yannick Budd

Morgan Morgan Dan Rochford

Samuel Morgan Alan Humphreys

Emily Davies Cler Stephens

Catrin Williams Rachel Pedley

James Williams Jack Wyn White

Organist David Hutchings

Sound Designer Ben Tinniswood

Technician Ian Glover

Costume Abigail Gould

Production Team Angela Gould, Alan Humphreys and Rachel Pedley

There are three tiers to this production 1 community 2 comradeship 3 compassion

Souls, like links in a unique necklace, are precious, never to be forgotten

You certainly won’t forget this production; it was interactive, courageous, emotional, passionate and articulate.