Blighty (1914-1918)

Jeffrey Grenfell-Hill trained for the professional theatre at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where he was chosen to be student director in the final year. After a tour of American colleges, universities and performing arts centres, he was invited to join the examining board of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. poems have appeared in Penguin and Heinemann anthologies. Samuel French have published his plays, and his monologues for young actors have been published by Oberon Books in an anthology edited by Shaun McKenna. His monologues and duologues have been chosen for the LAMDA examination syllabus for the acting exams as 'setpieces'. They are often performed as 'own choice' selections at major festivals of Speech and Drama. Jeffrey himself is an adjudicator of many years' standing with a doctorate from the University of Wales. He was Director of Sixth Form Studies at St George's School, Harpenden, where he taught A/S and A level Theatre Studies.Jeffrey remains an examiner for the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and in this capacity examines both in the UK and overseas.

Dr. Jeffrey Grenfell-Hill has created a multi-episodic and versatile dramatic script not only for a full- scale production of " Blighty " but as a teaching resource which can be used by classroom drama teachers or, indeed, by those who have the opportunity for cross- curricular teaching . Given that schools continue to include considerable aspects of World War 1, this dramatic text is suitable for upper primary and secondary classes. There is every possibility that " acting out " the text could encourage those disillusioned learners to be drawn to the emotional impact of war through their drama lessons. This play script is equally suitable for youth and adult productions in the community. The author's substantial historical knowledge and experience as a drama teacher, lecturer and examiner comes to the fore in this most recent of his work as a practitioner. --John Rhys Thomas, former headteacher.