COULD you play the part of a World War 1 soldier? An Opera commemorating the outbreak of hostilities is looking for three or four young men to join the cast – and you don’t even have to be able to sing.

Five stagings of ‘WW1: A Village Opera’ will take place this November in Llangwm, Haverfordwest and Newport.

The opera was commissioned by Llangwm Local History Society from Llangwm-based composer, Sue Howley, and librettist Peter George from Newport.

Director Carol Mackintosh says it would make “all the difference” to the performances if more men swelled the ranks of the young soldiers.

“They don’t have to sing – though they can if they want to – and best of all they won’t have to learn lines,” said Carol. “We have three battle scenes, and we need more men, aged between 16 and 25 or thereabouts, so that the scenes look realistic. We’re using a lot of sound and visual effects to depict the battles, and as a soldier in the trenches you’d be wearing battle dress of the time – which we’d provide of course – and carrying a mock-up rifle.”

Much of the Opera’s story is set in Llangwm, before the war and up to the present day. The battle scenes are interwoven with the story of a young couple, whose lives are touched by the conflict.

Around 50 people from Llangwm, Haverfordwest and the surrounding area have taken part in weekly rehearsals through the summer.

The opera and an associated exhibition - also to take place in Llangwm - received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, as part of a project to help the local community explore the legacy of the First World War, and to understand the impact it had on the village.

Volunteer soldiers can get in touch with Carol by emailing carolagarrett@googlemail.com