Award-winning actors to star in Second World War film released for VE Day

Yahoo

07-04-2025

Award-winning actors will star in a Second World War film released to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
The National Theatre's short film will use connected stories to present intergenerational perspectives on the end of the war.
Olivier Award-winning actor Julian Glover, who starred in the James Bond, Indiana Jones and Star Wars film franchises, will feature in The Next Morning screened on May 8.
It was written by James Graham who wrote Dear England, a play about former England football manager Gareth Southgate.
The film will also feature Sian Phillips, who won a Bafta for her role in I, Claudius, and Joseph Mydell, from the Academy Award-winning film Conclave.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'It is absolutely right that we ensure that the stories of those who lived through and fought in the Second World War are remembered by generations to come.
'Through the National Theatre, the VE Day 80 concert and our UK-wide exhibition, we will bring to life the stories of those no longer with us so that the next generation are able to honour their sacrifice and recognise the legacy of peace that they fought to secure.'
More than 12,500 people including Second World War veterans are expected to attend the VE Day 80 concert on May 8, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.
Royal British Legion, British Evacuees Association and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission are among the groups connected to VE Day that are allocating concert tickets to people across the UK.
More than 2,500 young people including Duke of Edinburgh ambassadors and Commonwealth Scholars will watch the show live on Horse Guards Parade.
DCMS said this is to 'ensure that the legacy of the stories of our veterans are saved for the next generation'.
An interactive mobile exhibition will also take Second World War across the country, organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) that works to ensure those who died as a result of conflict are properly commemorated.
The For Evermore Tour will start in Coventry, which suffered the most concentrated air attack on a British city during the war.
Director general of the CWGC, Claire Horton, said: 'Stories of individual people whose lives were cut short by conflict must be told and shared, their contribution provides the human connection to an important aspect of our global history.
'For us, the VE and VJ 80th commemorations are a pivotal moment to come together and remember the immense loss of life during the Second World War – a devastating and deadly conflict that impacted people of all ages and from all corners of the world.
She added: 'At the heart of the tour – and joining many of the national ceremonial events – is the Commonwealth War Graves Torch for Peace.
'The lit torch is an enduring symbol, honouring the contributions made by individuals, yet it is also a baton to pass the responsibility of commemoration to future generations, helping us acknowledge our shared histories and complex pasts.
'As the world wars fade from living memory, we urge everyone to take time to take part in these important commemorations.'
These events will run alongside the government's national programme to mark VE Day and VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day).
During the programme a military procession and flypast of current and historic military aircraft will be held, poppies will be returned to the Tower of London, and there will be a national call for families to search their lofts for Second World War stories.
Events will also be held at commemorative sites in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.
The concert will be broadcast live on BBC One at 8pm.
The Next Morning will be released online on May 8 and made available to schools.