Testament of Youth

A time when war overshadowed everything but hope

1979 7.8

A dramatization of Vera Brittain's 1933 autobiography Testament of Youth—a memorial to a generation devastated by WWI—chronicles her experiences as a nurse in London and Malta and at the front lines in France. It opens with 18-year-old Vera, the genteel daughter of a paper-mill owner, nurturing "hopes of escaping from provincial young ladyhood." Her plan is to attend Oxford.

Play

1
Buxton 1913
1979-11-04
In 1913, eighteen year old Vera Brittain tries to convince her stuffy, Conservative parents to allow her to attend Oxford, while war looms on the horizon.
2
Buxton 1914
1979-11-11
Working hard at Oxford, Vera decides to contribute to the war effort by becoming a nurse, while Roland heads abroad to fight for his country.
3
1915
1979-11-18
As the war continues to rage, Vera receives devastating news from all sides, which forces her to reconsider her future.
4
1917
1979-11-25
After another loss, Vera retreats into nursing, but the demands of her parents, and yet more tragedy, begin to overwhelm her.
5
1918
1979-12-02
Vera returns to Oxford, where she strikes up a friendship with a fellow student, before beginning to concentrate on writing.