THE life and words of Oswestry’s very own Wilfred Owen will come to life as a new play about the famous war poet takes to the stage this July.

Titled ‘Strange Meetings’, the show follows Wilfred from the start of his adult life until his tragic death in 1918, showing how the man became the poet, and how the poet became the soldier.

Drawing directly from the Oswestrian’s poetry and letters, as well as accounts of those who knew him during the First World War, the play explores the man behind the poems and the conflicts that raged within him.

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Shaun Higgins, who wrote the script and plays Wilfred, said the show has been a labour of love for him, and has tried to also capture all elements of his life, and not just the tragedy.

“I’ve worked hard to capture Owen’s tone, using his characteristic humour to add funny moments among the poignant ones,” he said.

“Taking the things he actually said and thought, and then sewing them together to make a seamless narrative, this really is the story of Oswestry’s most famous son, told in his own words.”

The hour-long show will be performed at the Hermon Chapel Arts Centre in Oswestry for two nights only on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 16 and 17, alongside ‘The Hatter’s Requiem’.

Another of Shaun’s scripts for Spike Rose Productions, ‘The Hatter's Requiem’ is a fun and colourful Alice in Wonderland story, but with a twist.

A quirky ensemble piece, it has an all-female cast and is scheduled to appear at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

Shaun said he was delighted to be able to bring the show to the town as they look to fine-tune it ahead of the trip to Scotland’s capital this summer.

He said: “The last play we took to Edinburgh did very well and raised money for mental health charities.

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“This year we’re taking a very different show which promises to be a lot of fun.

“These two nights at the Hermon Chapel Arts Centre are our ‘preview’ performances, a sneak peek of what we’re bringing to the theatrical table.”

Tickets for the shows on July 16 and 17 (with a raffle and licensed bar) are available through the Hermon website: www.hermon-arts.org.uk