We are delighted that Brittany McDaniel has kindly shared her playscript, photos and film of their production of Tom Palmer’s “After the War” for other schools to use and adapt as needed, see below.
Find out more about how this exciting partnership came about and connect scroll further below:
Playscript here
Photos of the production
Film
Background
Brittany McDaniel, a teacher based out of North Platte, Nebraska, USA (the most landlocked state in the US) read After the War: From Auschwitz to Ambleside in the summer of 2025 as she was looking for a script or story to adapt for her high school students (14-18 year olds) to perform as their competition one act. In Nebraska, area high school schools compete against other schools with 30 minute long productions and receive judging feedback over the course of their season. Mrs. McDaniel found Tom Palmer’s book while falling down a rabbit hole of research after watching the BBC drama, The Windermere Children and the rest is history. She could see the play happening in her head as she read it and she knew she needed to try and make it happen.
Thanks to the wonder of the internet, Mrs. McDaniel was able to contact Mr. Palmer and ask for permission to adapt his book into a play that would fit within the competition rules and after some back and forth for clarification, everything was set. Throughout the writing and revising process, there were a few moments and flashbacks that had to be cut due to time and the nature of presenting something live on stage. Also, one scene was added toward the very end. “The book is so beautifully written but when I was translating it for the stage, it felt like the audience needed one more flashback before the final scene. That led to adding the scene where Yossi is reunited with his family one last time in order for him to say goodbye to them. Also, the line ‘Get up, Yossi. Wash your face.’ just stuck with me and I wanted to find a way for Yossi and his father to have another moment with it.” states McDaniel.
Throughout the whole process, McDaniel and her students read and watched a variety of nonfiction, memoirs, and articles in order to learn more about the children and adults this book was written about. We would encourage anyone reading this book to also do the same. When asked about their experiences with the show, the cast members of the show responded with these statements:
Henry Cline (Yossi) “Some stories need telling and this is one of them. Rehearsing and performing this show has given the cast the chance to both put on a deep and meaningful story, but also to stay in touch with history and keep an important message alive.”
Isabella Frazier (Rebecca Frenkle, Yossi’s mother) – “Everyone knows the horrors of the holocaust, but no one takes a moment to learn about what happened once the camps were liberated. The atrocities that occurred in the camp continued to haunt the survivors until their dying breaths.”
Mrs. McDaniel says feel free to schools to use the script adaptation to help with your lessons and curriculum as needed. Almost all of the dialogue comes directly from the text and any changes were made after very careful consideration. If you would like to contact Brittany McDaniel to talk about her process or how to incorporate theatre into your own classroom, please reach out to her via email at bmcdaniel at nppsd dot org
More playscripts here
More about After the War here
Thank you
Overseas :
Schools bumper book pack 
Schools class set offer
Exciting News! I am the Cornwall Libraries National Year of Reading Ambassador for 2026. I’ll be visiting all corners of Cornwall and hope to celebrate the National Year of Reading with your families.
10am-1pm Saturday 24 January 2026
January 2026 
May 2026 NEW Cornish book
In these dark days, the parents of Bobble, Cadan and Cilla are involved in vital but top-secret war work, and they need their children’s help to keep their activities hidden. The unlikely trio initially struggle to trust one another, but when Cadan spots a German E-boat during a Fal River patrol and Cilla discovers a crashed Stuka on a Cornish RAF airfield, they realise the menace is closer than they thought.
Councillor Sarah Preece, Cabinet Member for Libraries and Culture at Cornwall Council, added: “This partnership is a fantastic boost for Cornwall’s National Year of Reading. With Tom’s involvement, we’ll reach young people and encourage them to connect with stories that reflect their own interests and passions. It’s wonderful to see Cornwall’s Libraries highlighting that reading can be sparked by what people love the most.”
Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot”.
Tom says “I am very, very happy to be an SLA Patron. I have worked with school librarians for nearly 20 years and have seen how they change lives and give children a better chance, through finding them the right reading material and by simply being there. Librarians and the School Library Association are integral to the world of children’s books, and it is my privilege to help champion what they do.”
Each book will be personally dedicated, signed, gift-wrapped and will come with a Christmas card from me. The Christmas card will have this year’s exclusive illustration taking inspiration from my latest book by the wonderful Yorkshire artist James Innerdale.
This year’s Remembrance Sunday will be marked on 9th November, with Armistice Day on Tuesday 11th November 2025.
My annual Remembrance Day film .
Pause and reflect this Remembrance Day with Tom Palmer and Carolina Rabei FREE
My virtual event with Mr Dilly Tuesday 11 November 2025, 10 am
Since 2019 the red poppy has paid tribute to civilian victims of war and “acts of terrorism”, alongside the armed forces.
Remembrance virtual event
“The Barnbow Lasses” – a FREE 3 part readaloud story with resources. Download 
Schools bumper 33 book pack 
Schools class set offer
acks
Join me on 11 am Thursday 6 November 2025 
Kian has to face his fears of footballing failure in order to support a friend in this action-packed sports story.
Christmas Book Giving 
My books are all available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot” 
This year’s exclusive illustration will be designed by our good friend James Innerdale to mark the publication of War Dog.
Audrey Hepburn’s childhood story of resistance in the Second World War against the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands inspired my children’s book Resist. 
Discover how the young Royal Navy sailors celebrate Christmas Day 1943 aboard HMS Belfast in the Arctic Circle with dinner, carols and listening to the King’s Speech in my children’s book Arctic Star.
Blackout poetry challenge
I have FREE certificates I can sign for readers of all my books.
Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot” 
Overseas :
Schools class set offer 
To celebrate the forthcoming publication of my debut picture book, War Dog, I am offering a limited number of special souvenir reader’s packs containing:
Borrow from your local library, or buy from your local independent 
