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Re-enacting a World War past

Published Friday 8th July 2005

Gary Bainbridge (front hat and webbing), Neil McGurk and Neil Sylvester-King evoking history.
Gary Bainbridge (front hat and webbing), Neil McGurk and Neil Sylvester-King evoking history

Over at the Living Museum actor Neil Sylvester-King gives his harassed corporal the run around, barking out orders.  Thankfully, the pair are only acting out their wartime alter egos, employed by the National Army Museum.

According to Neil, this requires some painstaking research into a typical army unit to help get their teeth into their roles.

"I'm a corporal not particularly happy to be here in the middle of a war and I just want to get home and see my two new kids," moaned Neil-Sylvester King, effortlessly slipping back 60 years.

"But I don't know what the press are doing in Normandy in July," he said gesturing to the press milling around.

And the Veterans' verdict?

"They say, 'That bloody gun is the same heavy piece of rubbish I had to carry!' It is though very much about evoking old memories for them."

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