THE Brown Paper Bag Theatre Company's World War One production Scarecrow will be performed at Crediton Arts Centre, East Street, from Wednesday, March 19 to Saturday, March 22.

The play revolves around two, fictional, neighbouring Mid Devon farming families, the Drews and the Wills, as the war rages in France.

In April 1915 the newspaper, the Crediton Chronicle reported "In a parish not far to the west of the town, many farmers' sons are resisting the call to arms."

Also, in September 1916, the Daily Mail reported "Devon Farmers' Sons Still Hiding. Purse Before Patriotism."

This local, and national, cause celebre lies at the centre of Scarecrow.

The play explores why this happened and the different views of "duty" that it raises, along with the role that farming played in the war and the ways found to try and keep an agricultural work force, as the land was bled of men and horses.

The project started with a Crediton resident, Hubert Trottman's, tape recorded war memories, spread to poster art work, children's tales and corrupted nursery rhymes, poetry, music, film, projection and four years worth of the Crediton Chronicle from 1914-1918.

The play is not precisely set in the Crediton area, but somewhere very much like it.

Live music is provided by "The Home Front Band" led by Anita Munson.

Brown Paper Bag Theatre Company have been producing home-grown performances for almost 30 years and are Crediton Arts Centre's in-house theatre group.

Performances will be at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from Crediton Arts Centre on 01363 773260, Crediton Community Bookshop on 01363 774740 and Sandford Stores (01363 775805), priced at £7/£5 concessions.

There is no age restriction on this production.