The play tells the story of a simple young soldier, Hamp, who walks away from the battlefield at Passchendaele after enduring the death of his entire battalion.

Captain Hargreaves is assigned to defend the Private who is charged with desertion. The prisoner's devastating experience of the Front changes the lawyer's outlook on war. His sense of duty to the boy becomes a passionate compulsion to save him from the firing squad.

"The play centres around the trial and the rights and wrongs what should or shouldn't happen to him," explained Tristram, "and whether he was a coward or whether he was suffering acute mental distress.

"It is also about the relationship between the soldier and the officer who defends him and the change of attitudes from the start of the play through the development of the story."

Audiences have been responding well to For King and Country and, as Tristram explains, it has been particularly popular with young people. "It has been going very well," he said. "It is a challenging and powerful play and it has drawn very concentrated, focused audiences.

"There have been very young audiences, partly because the First World War is on the GCSE syllabus. The young central character and the young officer are people the young audience can identify with," he continued.

Tristram, who is known for his work on Kavanagh QC, Judge John Deed, Lynda La Plante and Foyle's War, has been thoroughly enjoying his work in the theatre and is excited about bringing the production to Belfast.

"This is my first time in Belfast and I am very much looking forward to it," he added.

The production will be accompanied by a full education programme, including workshops for school groups, post-show discussions with members of the company, and a downloadable teachers' resource pack.

For King and Country runs at the Grand Opera House from Tuesday April 14 – Saturday April 18. Tickets are available from the Box Office on 9024 1919.