Circle 67 from Halesworth, in collaboration with the National Trust site at Dunwich, have brought to life the play Conflict, 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 a member of the group Chris Colins, from a rediscovered play written by Hope Lee, a descendant of Richard Clark. A group of actors from Circle 67 performed Conflict as a reading at the Coastguard Cottages to a small audience, which included the descendants of Richard Clark.
To capture the story and bring it to a wider audience they decided to record the play and make it available on Soundcloud – you can listen via this link.
Circle 67 are a Suffolk-based amateur dramatic group who have performed across the region for over 50 years. You can find out more about them on their Website .
SUFFOLK THEATRE 