A DOUBLE bill of film and documentary theatre inspired by letters, diaries and photographs is coming to rural Dorset.

The evening, on tour courtesy of Artsreach, is presented by State of Play Arts and comes to Briantspuddle Village Hall near Dorchester on Sunday, November 11.

It coincides with the armistice weekend, marking the centenary of the end of the Great War.

The Gathering - Messages from the Great War, a powerful new play by Dorset based writers Gill and Tony Horitz, tells the story of Will Cutler of Hinton Martel and Hubert Wareham of Wimborne Minster, two Dorset soldiers who fought in the First World War. Intensely moving, the play explores the stories between them and two people closely involved in their lives, Will’s wife Tillie, and the Vicar of Wimborne Minster, Reverend James Fletcher.

Both a love story and a message of resilience and hope, the performance will be preceded by a screening of Tommy’s Sisters, a short film about five women in 1916.

*The Gathering can be seen in Marnhull near Sturminster Newton (01258 820381) on November 9 at 7.30pm and Briantspuddle (01929 471002) on November 11. Tickets and further information are available at artsreach.co.uk