The background to this highly praised and imaginatively staged play is the true story of the sinking of the SS City of Benares by a German U Boat in September 1940. Two evacuees, aged 14 and 15 at the time, survived a terrifying ordeal by clinging to an upturned lifeboat for 19 hours.

Depicting their lives at home, both before and during the war, on board ship and in the water whilst they waited for rescue, it is an uplifting tale of survival against huge odds where courage, loyalty and enduring friendship in the face of almost certain death were tested to their limits. Originally staged to great acclaim at the Elmbridge and Leatherhead Drama Festivals in 2010, where the two actresses jointly shared the Best Actress Award, this is another opportunity to catch this richly rewarding play. Supported by a short staging of words and music from the period, it is a production for all ages that will live long in the memory. Miss it at your peril.