Shropshire Star

Chris stars in audio drama

A Shropshire man stars in a new audio drama based on the Battle of Britain.

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The audio drama forms part of the RAF Benevolent Fund’s All Stations podcast which has commemorated the 80th anniversary of battle.

Called A Gingerbread Man In The RAF, it was written by Matthew Wignall and won an international competition for new writing inspired by the stories of those who lived through and served in the Battle of Britain.

Chris Page lives in Shawbury and is a sound engineer and actor at Shawbury Village Players. The 65-year-old served in the RAF for 18 years before retiring in 1996 and joined the Royal Air Force Theatrical Association as a lifetime member during his service.

Chris said: “We must never forget the sacrifices made by the heroes of our past, so that we don’t make future mistakes that put us in similar positions. Remembering is not glorifying the Battle of Britain, it helps ensure the world does not repeat history.

“The audio drama caught my attention as I believe the arts can be used to explain events or situations that otherwise might not be understood by the present and future generations.”

The audio drama was produced following a script writing competition that aimed to engage younger audiences. Previous research carried out by the fund revealed that 40 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds did not know what the Battle of Britain was and only 51 per cent knew who ‘The Few’ were. In fact, 10 per cent of respondents thought the Battle of Britain took place in 2014 and a further 10 per cent thought it was the name given to a Viking attack.