Proceeds from WW1 Play Given to Combat Stress Charity

Remembrance day reading of Cosmo's War was staged at St Michael & All Angels

Remembrance day reading of Cosmo's War was staged at St Michael & All Angels
Robert Marsh receiving the cheque from Bernard Adams, and Father Kevin Morris with therapy dog Bosco. Picture: Roger Green

Participate

Chiswick Church and Pub Team up for Big Sing for the King

New Bishop of Kensington Meets Chiswick Clergy and Congregation

Advent Calendar and Christmas Charity Appeal Marks 20 Years

Cosmo Clark's Descendants Laud Staging of Cosmo's War

St Michael & All Angels Celebrates 20 years of its Parish Hall

Sign up for our weekly Chiswick newsletter

Comment on this story on the

May 21, 2023

The funds raised from a play about the First World War staged in Chiswick last Remembrance Day have been donated to the veterans’ charity Combat Stress.

The timing of the presentation of the £2,000 cheque by St Michael & All Angels Church was chosen to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.

The money was raised at the Remembrance Day reading of Cosmo’s War, a play based on the letters to and from the artist Cosmo Clark and his family during the conflict.

The production, in a packed St Michael’s church, was enhanced by music, costumes and images, including many of Cosmo’s sketches and letters. The part of Cosmo was read by Jamie White, a history student from Chiswick, and other parts were read by professional actors. The narrator was the vicar of St Michael & All Angels, Fr Kevin Morris.

Robert Marsh, Director of Fundraising at Combat Stress said, “Thank you to St Michael & All Angels Church for their donation. Combat Stress is 77% reliant on public donations to deliver its life-changing treatment for UK veterans. From eye-watering endurance challenges to marathons, we appreciate the tenacity and determination of our many fundraising challengers and the generosity of our supporters.

“The reading of Cosmo’s War was even more poignant, as Combat Stress was set up in 1919 to support those soldiers from the WWI who returned with psychological and physical injuries.”

After the performance on 11 November 2022, Mark Izatt, a trustee of Combat Stress, wrote on Twitter, “It was a superb performance. I had read the letters before but this gave them a whole new meaning”.

No fewer than six of James Clark’s great granddaughters attended the performance and Cosmo’s granddaughters and great-granddaughters were photographed with the cast.

Cosmo’s War was written by Bernard Adams, a former BBC producer, based on Cosmo Clark’s letters, to and from his family at 44 Rusthall Avenue W4. Copies of the play are now on sale via Amazon here.

Cosmo volunteered for active service at the age of 17 and won the Military Cross. He documented his experiences in drawings and letters from the front and later became a well-known artist. His father James Clark painted The Great Sacrifice, described as “the most popular painting of WW1”, and The Salutation mural in the north aisle of St Michael & All Angels Church.

The evening was supported by Andrew Nunn & Associates, Belinda Norcliffe Casting and Home Instead, Chiswick and Hammersmith. The uniforms were supplied by Khaki Devil of Bury St Edmunds, the other costumes by Janet & John Huckle, and props by Stuart Learmonth, Cosprop, Trading Post, Abbey Fabrics and Superhire Props.

 

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More

This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism.

Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets.

We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more.

However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do.

We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area.

A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site.

One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute.

If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor.

For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.

 


Bookmark and Share