DID you know a bear was once enlisted in the Polish army? Did you, or older family members , ever visit the him in Edinburgh Zoo? Did you know that there are two statues, in Duns and in Princes Street Gardens , Edinburgh, honouring the same bear?

Did you know that this bear was once banned from a dance in post-war Peebles? If this whets your appetite to know more, come along to “Wojtek the Bear,” Tweed Theatre’s next production at the Eastgate Theatre.

Well known Tweed Theatre member Graham McIntosh is Piotr, Wojtek’s soldier mentor and Alan Kelso, a newcomer to the club, plays the bear. Piotr’s and Wojtek’s relationship, in this intense two hander, is the backbone of the drama which has knockabout humour as well as deep poignancy.

No one can fail to be gripped by the story of a bear, saved from cruel exploitation in Syria and enlisted into the Free Polish forces in WW2.

He travels and serves with them in Italy where the Poles win undying fame at Monte Cassino, is demobilised to postwar life in the Scottish Borders and finally becomes a main attraction at Edinburgh Zoo.

Drama is slowly making its way back into people’s lives after a difficult period. Tweed Theatre is proud to celebrate the return of live theatre with a production that will make an audience laugh and cry and go home uplifted. Raymond Raszkowski Ross’s play stands as a testament to the goodness of the soul and the power of love, making it an unforgettable theatrical experience.