FLUID Motion Theatre Company has always championed awareness of mental health through its unique, biographical performances.

Its latest production is set to be no different, but at its heart is a tale that many can relate to; a relative in war time.

The company’s new show Too Much To Bear will see Fluid Motion’s artistic director Leigh Johnstone explore the discovery of his great grandfather’s wartime service.

Johnstone told The Gazette: “A few years ago

I discovered that my grandfather was a stretcher bearer in World War One.

“So, I started doing some research into him and his regiment and obviously from there things spiral and you hear all these family myths.

“One of the best ones was that he managed to save someone’s leg in the middle of battle.”

This performance, which will take place at the Willis Museum on Friday, 6 July, is a scratch performance, meaning the show is

still in its development stages.

However, Johnstone believes this will help shape the show, especially with the question and answer session at the end.

He added: “It is not the final finished performance and we are still developing it, but what I have found is some really interesting things that I have been sent from his stretcher bearing team.

“There is one picture with the whole team but none of my family can pick out which one he is, so we might incorporate that into the show and get the audience to guess which one he is.”

The performance ties in with the commemorations of 100 years since the end of the First World War.

In true Fluid Motion style there will be focus on the mental health aspect of the performance and how people during the war dealt with these situations.

“We are so much better now in general about talking about mental health, about PTSD and the traumas which people experience during war time,” added Johnstone.

“We hope to get a conversation going about the wider issue of mental health, not just in the context of the show.”

He added: “It shows how much things have changed, as when I was doing my research I went to visit a relative in Devon who I had never met.

“She is the only surviving family member who knew him at that time, and she told me when she asked about his service, she was told to shut up by her mum.

“That was just the way people dealt with these things, so we want people to talk about these experiences more.”

Too Much to Bear forms part of this year’s Basingstoke Festival. For a full list of events visit basingstokefestival.co.uk.