THE place is Flanders, early in 1915. An austere three-story building on the Rue de L’Hopital, Poperinge, is procured as a soldiers’ club, named Talbot House and known fondly among its patrons as Toc H.

Fast forward through 99 years and we find writer/director/ actor Peter Gill, who was compelled to write the story of Talbot House after visiting this unique place in Belgium. Set in the upper floor is a chapel with an old carpenter’s bench for an altar and a piano, Gill’s set is draped in the red, white and blue of patriotism.

Gill plays the likeable cockney rebel Arthur Pettifer, batman to Reverend Philip (Tubby) Clayton who was chosen by the senior chaplain, Neville Talbot, to run the club. It was Talbot’s brother, a subaltern in the Rifle Brigade, who gave the club its name.

He was killed while leading his men in an effort to regain trenches lost at Hooge. A true and inspirational story, well researched, but sadly lacking in the dramatic department – a director/dramatist would help enormously.

In the first half, Gill has all the lines and what could be a fascinating and moving piece of drama turns into a lecture on the First World War. Iain Barton plays the Reverend Philip Clayton but has so little to say as most of his words are reported by Gill. The second half is this production’s saviour with Gill’s incredible musicianship and some great wartime favourites like Pack Up Your Troubles and Keep the Home Fires Burning.

Toc H was re-born in 1919 when Tubby Clayton got together a team of men to comfort and rebuild broken wartorn lives. Today there is a chain of branches encircling the world.