Introducing "METTLE," a gripping new play written and performed by Nicholas Collett and directed by Gavin Robertson.

Set in November 1942, the HMS Vanessa is detached from Convoy HX213 to join Convoy SC107, which faces devastating attacks from a wolfpack of U-boats over four days, resulting in the heaviest loss of ships from any trans-Atlantic convoy that winter. Gordon Collett, a 19-year-old from Sheffield, volunteers for the Royal Navy in 1940 to combat fascism and serves on the HMS Vanessa during these perilous times.

"I know this because I am his son, and I'm going to tell you his story," says Nicholas Collett. This moving and often humorous odyssey takes audiences from Liverpool to the USA, via Freetown, highlighting the courage of those who braved the sea's perils.

Supported by the Daparian Foundation, which aids veterans and emergency personnel on trauma journeys, "METTLE" draws on Nicholas's conversations with his father—stories revealed only during his parents' golden wedding anniversary—and his service records. Nicholas charts his father's progress as a young man in one of the most dangerous theatres of war, contrasting it with their personal relationship.

The story spans from 1930s Sheffield through the outbreak of war, U-Boat attacks, and treacherous weather, to the relative calm of West Africa and even a Glenn Miller concert. Told in a physical style with a set suggesting Sheffield steel, enhanced by sound and contemporary music, "METTLE" is a true modern odyssey you won't want to miss.

Physical theatre and storytelling from the award-winning creators of “Spitfire Solo” “Nelson – The Sailors’ Story” and “Your Bard” Nicholas Collett returns to our menu with his most personal theatre work yet.