A NEW play to be staged in South East Cornwall tells the story of a group of First World War soldiers who survived the war while thousands around them fell. Third Light, by local playwright Simon Parker, is set in Herodsfoot, whose men all returned from 'the war to end all wars'. The production will combine traditional theatre, contemporary dance and live brass band music with many local performers, including Attik Dance and St Pinnock Band. The play follows the fortunes of a group of neighbours as they leave their homes and peaceful lives and head for the trenches of the Western Front. 'The idea for Third Light was originally sparked by the experience of my own grandfather, who joined up at the very beginning of the war – with a bugle and a drum – and survived the entire conflict,' said Simon 'Even though my grandfather didn't speak of the war very much, he left detailed written memoirs of what he had gone through, which were only discovered after his death. 'Central to his account is the element of luck that saw him go through the war physically unscathed while so many perished around him. It left him asking "why me?" for the rest of his long life – much as the men of Herodsfoot must have felt.' The choreographer and artistic director of Attik Dance, Benjamin Dunks, said: 'By bringing together a strong team of actors, musicians and dancers, we hope to create a production that is poignant, powerful and thought-provoking.' Simon said: 'People of an older generation may already know the significance of the "third light". 'Everyone else will have to come along to the show and find out for themselves.' Third Light is supported by Feast, a Cornwall-based programme that invests in community art projects, and will be staged at Sterts Theatre in Upton Cross on July 8-12.