(Matt Trueman’s article appeared in the Guardian, 3/18.)
Before joining the British Royal Marines, Cassidy Little trained as a dancer, winning a ballet scholarship in St Louis. On his second tour of duty with 42 Commando in Afghanistan, the Canadian was caught in an IED blast. He lost the lower half of his right leg and fractured his left leg in several places.
For the next four months, however, Cassidy will be dancing on stage again. Nor is he the only amputee to do so in The Two Worlds of Charlie F, a play performed and inspired by a cast of injured military personnel.
It's been more than two years since Cassidy joined the Bravo 22 company, which was established by producer Alice Driver as part of a masterclass scheme and comprised of 30 wounded servicemen and women. Working with the Welsh playwright Owen Sheers, who wrote The Passion of Port Talbot for National Theatre Wales, and director Stephen Rayne over a 10-week devising process, the company created a show that recounted their experiences of active service and injury for a one-off West End gala in January 2012. Two years on, with an Amnesty International award under its belt, Bravo 22 has just started its second UK tour.
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/mar/18/two-worlds-of-charlie-f-uk-tour