THE wartime experiences of North-East residents lie at the heart of an upcoming theatrical production.

Homecoming will mark the centenary of World War I by highlighting the stories of people from the Tees Valley and honouring their contribution to war efforts.

The production will focus on the tales of soldiers, nurses and munitions workers and will be created from research materials and interviews gathered by local libraries and archivists.

The show, created by internationally acclaimed theatre company Periplum, will take place in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Redcar and Stockton between September and December this year.

It is being created in collaboration with local communities and each performance will focus on at least one story selected from the town it is being staged in.

The production company is now inviting people from across the Tees Valley to help them bring alive stories of local people in wartime by becoming part of the show.

Periplum will offer those aged over 18 and from the boroughs of Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Darlington and Redcar the opportunity to train with the company and enjoy workshops in performance skills, choreography, use of fire and pyrotechnics.

Homecoming will be a free show and will premiere at the Preston Hall Museum in Stockton on Saturday, September 27.

It will then be staged at Redcar’s Kirkleatham Hall Museum on Saturday, October 18, at Middlesbrough’s Dorman Museum on Saturday, November 1 and Darlington’s Market Square on Friday, November 14.

A final show will take place in Hartlepool’s Town Square on Tuesday, December 16 – marking exactly 100 years since the town’s bombardment.

For more details or to volunteer for the show, email info@periplum.co.uk including your full name, age and contact details.