A radio play.
Listen to Conflict at www.circle67.co.uk
Circle 67, in collaboration with the National Trust site at Dunwich, have brought to life the true story of one of Britain’s first conscientious objectors, Richard Clark.
An employee of the Preventive Service and an occupant of one of the Coastguard Cottages at Dunwich, Richard was called to fight in the Crimean War (1853-56), but as a Quaker he held a deep religious belief that it is wrong to kill. He refused to be conscripted and was eventually imprisoned on a prison hulk. His case was pleaded in the House of Commons by John Bright MP and this campaign helped influence future laws recognising the right of people to refuse to fight for reasons of conscience.
Conflict has been adapted by our own Chris Colins from a rediscovered play written by Hope Lee, a descendent of Richard Clark. A few months ago a small group of actors from Circle 67 performed Conflict as a reading in a radio style at the Coastguard Cottages to a small audience which included the descendants of Richard.
To capture the story and bring it to a wider audience we also decided to create a recording of the play and we are delighted to make this available for you all to listen to via the link below. Many of us involved with this project have found it to be extremely interesting and rewarding, especially with its local links and were hoping you may find it just as fascinating.