Private Peaceful (Play)

Description

Private Peaceful relives the life of Private Tommo Peaceful, a young First World War soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn. During the night he looks back at his short but joyful past growing up in rural Devon: his exciting first days at school; the accident in the forest that killed his father; his adventures with Molly, the love of his life; and the battles and injustices of war that brought him to the front line. Winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year,Private Peaceful is by the third Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, award-winning author of War Horse. His inspiration came from a visit to Ypres where he was shocked to discover how many young soldiers were court-martialled and shot for cowardice during the First World War.

Author description

"Simon Reade has previously adapted Michael Morpurgo's Toro! Toro!, The Mozart Question and Twist of Gold. He also wrote the screenplay for the feature film of Private Peaceful, released in October 2012. His other plays include The Scarecrow and His Servant, Not the End of the World, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, Pride and Prejudice, and for the RSC, Ted Hughes' Tales From Ovid and Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. His book Dear Mr. Shakespeare, his plays for young people and Morpurgo: War Plays are published by Oberon Books. Michael Morpurgo OBE, is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate. He has written over 120 books, and has been published in over 25 languages. His children's novel War Horse has been adapted for stage where it became a smash-hit success in the UK, before transferring to Broadway and Toronto. War Horse has also been adapted for screen, directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 2012."