SCHOOLGIRLS were captivated by actor Peter Gill's one-man performance in a play about the First World War.

The play, which took to the stage at Bolton School girls' division, is called Great War and is based around character Private Tommy Atkins.

The audience heard recollections of action at Ypres, Passchendaele, Loos and on the Somme while also learning about the horror, the boredom, the pain, the fear and even moments of joy and empathy.

Year 10 girls heard how Private Atkins’ feelings about the war change over time.

Initially he is bitter at the way that the heroes are quickly forgotten by society but, as he ages, comradeship and pride become his overriding emotions.

A school spokesman said: "In the performance he talked about how he and his comrades reflect on the war of a Saturday evening at the Royal British Legion and how, even though it took another war to seal the deal, they were responsible for making this country what it is today."

Mr Gill answered questions about the play and the Great War from the audience.

He told the girls that he had wanted to portray a normal Tommy and the character was a conglomeration of several veterans he had met through the course of his life and research.

Mr Gill said he had been interested in World War One for the past sixteen years. The first draft of his play was written in two weeks but it was then developed and refined over a period of six months as he learnt the lines.

Many of the facts in the play are true such as the death of the first man in the War, John Parr aged 14 and the oldest man, Henry Webber aged 67.