Samantha Grosser

The Military Covenant, drawn up in February, 2000, states that “Soldiers will be called upon to make personal sacrifices - including the ultimate sacrifice - in the service of the Nation… In return, British soldiers must always be able to expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as individuals, and that they (and their families) will be sustained and rewarded by commensurate terms and conditions of service.”

Yet in April, 2007, Douglas Young from the British Armed Forces Federation (BAFF) wrote that “The Covenant between the Nation and the Army … has received much attention in the media in recent months: in reality, many within the Armed Forces feel that this covenant is a dead letter…”

At the time of writing, there are 7,800 British troops serving in Afghanistan as part of Nato’s International Security Assistance Force. Some are on their second tour of duty there, many have also served in Iraq. Overstretched, underpaid and often ill-equipped, back-to-back tours in Iraq and Afghanistan are placing an intolerable strain on Britain’s servicemen and their families as they struggle to fulfill the Government’s commitment to two deeply unpopular conflicts.

Dead Letter is a full-length, two-act play written in response to this betrayal. Inspired by conversations with serving soldiers based in Bristol, and written in collaboration with a serving Sergeant Major, the play is a squaddie’s-eye view of what it means to serve in an army that is stretched to the limit and examines the often hard realities of a soldier’s journey home.