Soldiers' stories (From Salisbury Journal)

Soldiers' stories

4:18pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in Entertainments By Morwenna Blake

THE lives of soldiers and the wives waiting for them at home are the subject of two plays coming to the Salberg Studio at Salisbury Playhouse next month.

A Soldier’s Song is the true account of a man on the frontline while Soldiers’ Wives looks at the women waiting for their men to return.

The former is written and performed by Ken Lukowiak, who served with 2 Para during the Falklands War.

He was involved in beach landings at San Carlos and the 15- hour battle at Goose Green. He was also present at the disastrous bombing of the Sir Galahad and the Sir Tristram at Bluff Cove and finally the liberation of Port Stanley.

Ten years after the Falklands War, he wrote his best-selling book of the same name as an act of catharsis.

Soldiers’ Wives tells the stories of five wives living on an army base somewhere in England – lives caught up in the humdrum tension of waiting for their men to return home.

But what is it really like being married to be someone whose job description includes being prepared to die?

Based on interviews with the wives of military personnel, this powerful play is performed by Catherine Shipton (best known as Duffy in the BBC’s Casualty), who was nominated for The Stage Award for Best Solo Performance at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival.

* A Soldier’s Song is on from Thursday, February 21 to Saturday, February 23.

* Soldiers’ Wives runs from Tuesday, February 26 to Saturday, March 2 with a post-show discussion on February 28.

Contact the box office on 01722 320333 or visit salisburyplayhouse.com.