Beaumont-Hamel musical Ours back on stage, telling the story of a loss of a generation - Action News
Home WebMail Tuesday, November 26, 2024, 07:23 AM | Calgary | -17.5°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
NL

Beaumont-Hamel musical Ours back on stage, telling the story of a loss of a generation

Opera on the Avalon production looking at end of First World War plays in St. John's on Nov. 9 and 11.

Opera on the Avalon production looking at end of First World War plays in St. John's on Nov. 9 and 11

Ours first hit the stage in 2016, on the 100th anniversary of Beaumont-Hamel. (Ted Dillon/CBC)

An Opera on the Avalon production looking at the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in the First World War is returning to the stage in St. John's this Remembrance Day weekend.

Ours commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel on July 1, 1916, which decimated a generation of Newfoundland soldiers.

Ours back on stage

6 years ago
Duration 2:39
After debuting in 2016, a production about Beaumont-Hamel is on stage again in St. John's.

The show debuted July 1, 2016, at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John's, selling out its two-night run amid critical acclaim.

Ours is back at the Arts and Culture Centre for evening showings on Nov. 9 and 11, with tickets on sale now.

"I hope Ours stands as a memorial to all the people who lost their lives in World War I and all the veterans that have served this country so honourable," says Cheryl Hickman, Opera on the Avalon's artistic and general director.

Cheryl Hickman is the artistic director of Opera on the Avalon. (Ted Dillon/CBC)

"Beaumont-Hamel left a scar upon the nation of Newfoundland that we have never recovered from, and it's important to remember the souls who died for this country in a way that art can only serve."

Ours is presented by Hickman, along with Juno-nominated composer John Estacio and playwright Robert Chafe.

Baritone Andrew Love leads the cast in the role of Thomas Nangle, who was the chaplain posted to the Newfoundland Regiment shortly after Beaumont Hamel.

The Ours cast does a dress rehearsal at the St. John's Arts and Culture Centre. (Ted Dillon/CBC)

Gordon Gietz plays the role of Archbishop Roche; soprano Lara Ciekiewicz plays May, the fiancee of a troubled soldier; as well as Newfoundland-born tenors Aaron Sheppard and Ryan Downey as Charlie and John, two members of the Regiment who died in France.

Read more from CBCNewfoundland and Labrador