KNUTSFORD Little Theatre is playing host to plays written to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Will You Remember Them? and Aftermath were written by Stuart Oakes, from Sandbach, and his sister Susan Cowley, from Winsford, and are being staged at the theatre from November 7 to 10.

Stuart said: “In 2013 we, like many others, were curious to see if we had relatives who were in the Great War. We eventually found our great great uncle William Ikin.

“We found he did not go to the Western front but was posted to Egypt for training, then on to Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay on August 10, 1915.

“He died from dysentery on October 19, 1917 and is buried at the Dier El Belah war cemetery.

“The research we carried out and the emotional stories we read inspired us to write our original play - Remember Them.

“It was performed in 2014 at The Grand Theatre in Lancaster and The Harlequin Theatre in Northwich, where it played to sell-out audiences, and in 2015 it won a Cheshire Theatre Guilds award.

“Will you remember them? is a one-act play taken from the original, and Aftermath is a new play and the story of a modern-day soldier.

“Although 100 years apart the plays show war has the same traumatic effect on the soldier and the families.”

In Aftermath a soldier of today reflects on his life, troubled by the sadness and futility of conflict. Will You Remember Them? follows a group of friends who, despite being below recruitment age, are eager to enlist and fight for King and Country.

Director Tina Buckley said: “The staging of these one-act plays will be perfectly timed to coincide with the end of the First World War centenary commemorations.

“It's a privilege to present the premiere performances of these poignant, emotive and perceptive pieces, and we want to do justice to the sensitive writing of Stuart and Susan and the memories of the soldiers killed fighting for our country.

“Stuart and Susan have very generously offered to waive any performance fees, and we will therefore be very pleased to make a donation to Help for Heroes and the Combat Stress Armistice 100 Appeal.”

Tickets priced at £10 (two for one on the Wednesday evening) are available online at knutsfordlittletheatre.com