A PLAY adapted from an original story by a late Wee County veteran will be performed in Dunblane this month.
There will be poignant performances of Archie's Issues, an original story by Blackgrange man David Gray, as Forth Valley Creative Veterans take to the stage at Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, from March 15 to March 19.
The tale recounts some 50 years of military experiences from locations as diverse as St Valery, Northern France, in 1940, to Grangemouth in the 1990s.
David, who sadly passed away on November 11 last year, was an Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders veteran who was the driving force behind the effort to renew the regiment's memorial atop Dumyat in 2015,
He was also a well-know artist, writer and entrepreneur in the area.
The Argylls memorial atop Dumyat was a real source of pride for David
His story was adapted to stage by Sean McGinlay with the play sponsored by the Forth Valley branch of SSAFA, the armed forces charity.
Forth Valley Creative Veterans – a theatre group of veterans and emergency services personnel with a common love of the arts – will be joined by senior pupils from the Dunblane school for the performances.
With its gritty humour, compassion and truth – the play already received plaudits last summer when it premiered over three days at a farm near Kippen.
Small but rapturous audiences already had a chance to enjoy the drama then and while David passed away just a few short months later, he did get to see his story turned into a production for the first time.
Reportedly, he said at the time that Creative Veterans had “made an old man very happy”.
Creative Veterans went on to paint a mural in Tillicoultry with artist Jaz Grady just weeks later – as reported in the Advertiser at the time.
David, son of Argylls war hero Major David Gray Sr MBE, led some 200 people to brave inclement weather atop Dumyat in 2015 for the official inauguration of a replacement memorial to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
The original memorial was first placed on the hill in September 1966 by David and his father David Sr who served with the 51st Highland Division at Dunkirk during WWII.
LOCAL HERO: There will be poignant performances of Archie's Issues, an original story written by late Clacks veteran David Gray
After nearly 50 years, the badge had fallen into a state of disrepair but David spent spent five months carving a scale model in clay before having a fibre glass copy made.
It was then cast in stainless steel and lifted by helicopter to the top of Dumyat.
Archie's Issues will run at Queen Victoria School from Wednesday, March 15, to Sunday, March 19.
Doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start – a minimum donation of £5 per person is requested with proceeds going to Forth Valley Creative Veterans.
Contact Mary Kenyon at maryelizkenyon@gmail.com or on 01786 870360 to book.
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