The Year 9 Play - The White Feather

The song reflects upon the short life of a young soldier, William McBride, who was killed during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Our Year 9 cast told the story of William alongside stories of other characters, both men and women, and how their lives were dramatically impacted by the First World War. They rose admirably to the challenge of communicating the range of atmospheres and emotions needed for this performance: from the dreamy and peaceful bliss of a land before war was on anyone's mind, to the pressures of the propaganda employed to encourage the enlisting, to the atrocities of the trenches, the struggles at home, and finally dealing with losses in the aftermath of the war’s conclusion.

The performance included a number of comedy routines and songs taken from the Music Hall genre, performed to backing tracks provided by Year 13 Music scholar Ryan H. The final scene, set at William’s graveside, culminated in a live rendition of Bogle’s song, whilst poppies fell from above the stage, creating a memorable and moving final image.