Tickets are now on sale for a unique re-telling of the true story of a forgotten Burton folk hero that is raising money for two charities that are Support Staffordshire members.
Vale Rawlings was jailed in 1914 after he supported a group of factory girls in the town centre, many of them just 13-17 years old.
The case was dubbed ‘a gross miscarriage of justice’ by Labour Party founder Keir Hardie. He raised the issue in Parliament several times and came to Burton to address crowds outside Town Hall.
Some 10,000 people signed a petition demanding a retrial and Vale’s case hit newspaper headlines across the country. Up to 15,000 people are said to have lined the streets of Burton for a victory parade when Vale was released from prison in Derby and he was hailed as a hero. But when World War One broke out just weeks later, Vale and his family faced a new, equally dramatic challenge.
Come and find out more at Burton Town Hall on Friday December 6 at 7.30pm. A cast of 29 actors from the local community will tell Vale’s story through a unique radio play-style drama. Tickets are on sale now at the town hall website or by calling the Brewhouse box office on 01283-508100. They cost £7 for the unwaged, children and seniors. A standard ticket is £11 and a pay-it-forward ticket is £15, allowing more money to go to the two nominated charities: Burton YMCA and SARAC to be spent in the local community.
For more information go to forgottenburtonstories.co.uk or find the Vale Rawlings Project Community Interest Company on Facebook
