War and Peas - a Second World War musical

What did we do?

Following involvement in the tourning 'Their Past Your Future' exhibition at the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre in Nottingham, members of the Nottingham Arts Theatre Youth Group were inspired to create a musical play based on the exhibition and local experiences of the Second World War on the front line and the home front.

The group found a willing body of individuals who were delighted to tell their Second World War stories and to work with the young people. Theatre group members also visited museums in the area and researched local and international history to get the background they needed. they easily found more than enough material to write the play's script and accompanying songs.

Connecting people

War and Peas was a sell-out success seen by more than 1,200 people, mostly school groups, in five performances at Nottingham Arts Theatre and museums across the East Midlands.

The musical's success came from its roots in lived history. It communicated knowledge to audiences that was specific, locally relevant and emotional. the children who saw War and Peas enjoyed the performance and learned about the Second World War, relevant to History in the National Curriculum.

The young actors became very knowledgeable about local history and the Second World War as well as gaining skills in fundraising, marketing and promotion.

The young actors also learned about other cultures and their responses as the audiences were varied and for some of the school children, this was the first performance they attended.

Many of the children who saw the show in museums, later visited the sites with their families having discovered that museums are lively, creative places. A school group that saw the show at Newstead Abbey (Lord Byron's home), immediately asked their teacher to arrange a follow-up visit to the museum.