24 Feb 22: What a Difference a Day Makes

A powerful verbatim play about Ukraine, displacement and the day ordinary lives changed forever

24 Feb 22: What a Difference a Day Makes is a moving new verbatim play by Mark Wheeller, created with Lichfield Cathedral School, about the day Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed lives across Europe.

Using the real words of young Ukrainians, British host families and a school community in Lichfield, the play follows the human impact of 24 February 2022 and its aftermath: fear, upheaval, separation, welcome, misunderstanding and unexpected kindness.

Compassionate, immediate and theatrically direct, 24 Feb 22 explores how global events reach into ordinary homes, classrooms and friendships — and how young people find resilience in the face of unimaginable change.

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For millions of people, life changed in a single day.

The play brings together real testimony from those affected by the war and those who responded to it. The result is an accessible and emotionally direct play that helps young performers and audiences engage with recent history through human stories rather than headlines.

Rooted in the experiences of young people, families and a school community, the play offers a sensitive way into conversations about war, displacement, empathy, welcome and the responsibilities we have to one another.