THE story of a group of East Lothian men who fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War was given its first airing in front of an audience at Prestonpans Labour Club this month.

The Wonder Fools theatre company brought rehearsals for its new show 549: Scots of the Spanish Civil War to the club to give people a taste of the work they are doing.

The company researched the role of the four men from Prestonpans – George Watters, Jock Gilmour, William ‘Bill’ Dickson and Jimmy Kempton – who took part in the 1926-29 war to help create their story, visiting family members, historians and archivists across the county as they built up a picture of the group’s background.

They believe the quartet’s story encapsulates the bigger tale of the 549 Scots who formed the Scottish ranks of the Spanish Civil War’s International Brigade.

A spokesman for the theatre group said: “Spurred on by rapid political change and their burning passion for the equality and freedom of working people, this band of young men tasked themselves with ousting General Franco’s fascist occupation.

“549 follows four of those men from the streets of Prestonpans to the valleys of central Spain. They gave up everything they knew to fight for a land they had never seen before, and for a people they had never met.

“The story of 549 could not be more relevant today. Its themes of international solidarity and collective action, coupled with the 80th anniversary of the conflict, means that we believe there has never been a more important time to make this show.”

When the story of the 549 was first uncovered by the company, Wonder Fools spent over a year visiting relatives in East Lothian and gathering personal accounts of the four miners which then became the foundation of the play.

The performance at the Prestonpans Labour Club consisted of a rehearsed reading of the script and songs.

It is hoped the company will be able to take the finished show on tour in Scotland later this year.

Updates on the show’s progress will be available through wonderfools.org