Memoirs of POW experience

Memoirs of POW experience: enhancing public understanding of diversity in, and the functionalities of, military life writing through performance

Project overview

This project centres on Gregoriou’s (School of English) research into WW2 memoirs, which uses archival materials including the 237-page POW memoir of her grandfather, Cypriot sergeant Phylactis Aristokleous (British Army). Rodosthenous (PCI) will adapt this memoir into a theatrical monologue, a lecture performance around which will tour Yorkshire heritage sites in May 2025 (VE day 80th commemoration). This generates social and educational impacts by raising awareness of the British Army’s WW2 veteran community’s diversity. It provides visitor resources for project partners demonstrating how memoirs both record and reconstitute subjective experiences of war. The project benefits partners economically by increasing visitor footfall.

Project team

Professor Christiana Gregoriou (School of English)

Professor George Rodosthenous (School of Performance and Cultural Industries)

Second World War Experience Centre [SWWEC]

Eden Camp Modern History Museum

Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds

York Army Museum

A black and white image of Phylactis Aristokleous in his British Army sergeant's uniform and cap. He is looking downwards, away from the camera.

Phylactis Aristokleous. Image copyright Christiana Gregorious, reproduced with permission.

Performance Venues

Christiana Gregoriou and George Rodosthenous present 'Memoirs of a P.O.W' - a dramatisation of a British Army Second World War memoir commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

There are five venues in which to see the performance:

University of Leeds (Banham Theatre) on **Wednesday, May 7th**. Supplement your visit by popping to the Marks and Spencer exhibition on campus to get a sense of civilian life on the home front!

Book a 10:30 morning performance slot.

Book a 12:30 noon slot.

Royal Armouries (Bury Theatre) on **Thursday, May 8th**: Before or after the performance, you can visit the museum galleries completely free of charge. To book a museum visit (the shows are walk-ins), please see the Royal Armouries webpage.

Eden Modern History Museum (Mess Hut 12) on **Friday, May 9th**: Before or after the show, you can explore the museum’s exhibits and learn more about life during the war. Pre-booking is necessary, and you can find details of how to do so on the Eden Modern History Museum webpage.

York Army Museum on **Saturday, May 10th**. Before or after the show, you can explore the museum’s Yorkshire army-related exhibits. For show details, visit the York Army Museum webpage.

Theatro Technis on **Friday 18 July**. For details visit the Theatro Technis webpage.

You can view a trailer of the show on YouTube.

You can download a copy of the programme via the button below.

Memoirs of a POW printable programme (pdf)

To learn more, email Christiana Gregoriou at c.gregoriou@leeds.ac.uk

Watch Memoirs of a P.O.W

You can now watch a recording of the Memoirs of a P.O.W lecture performance.