I have just written of the Spanish Civil War in A House Divided so know its brutality and hardship, but also the ‘mateship’ of the International Brigades.

So this play is of interest to me, and probably to you.

Following a successful UK tour marking the 80th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War, Dare Devil Rides To Jarama comes to Tara Theatre for a limited run. Based on the experiences of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War and the powerful political forces that engulfed 1930s Europe, Dare Devil Rides to Jarama asks why so many ordinary people made the extraordinary choice to leave family and livelihoods and fight in a brutal war so far from home.

When Spaniards rose up to resist General Franco’s military rebellion in 1936, it was an inspiration to millions of people worldwide. Their heroic struggle alerted the rest of the world to the threat of fascism. Dare Devil Rides To Jarama commemorates and celebrates the contribution and sacrifice of the Volunteer International Brigades, including two and a half thousand from Britain and Ireland.

Compelling and humorous, Dare Devil Rides To Jarama focuses on the contrasting lives of Clem Beckett, a Lancashire blacksmith and famous star of the speedway track, and Christopher Caudwell, a renowned writer, poet and philosopher. Both men were killed together at Jarama in February 1937, having become friends as members of the British battalion’s machine-gun company.

Through stirring song, poetry, movement and dance, Dare Devil Rides To Jarama captures the raw passions and emotions of the time. Musical direction is from acclaimed folk singer and squeeze box player John Kirkpatrick.

Dare Devil Rides To Jarama

Ages 11+

Tara Theatre, 356 Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, London SW18 4ES

Tickets are available from www.tara-arts.com or 020 8333 4457 at £13.50.

@townsendprod, #DareDevil