So a journalist walks into a bar in a war-torn country and who should be there, but the sniper who tried to kill him the previous day.

No, it's not the start of some awful joke bandied around Fleet Street bars.

It’s the very real situation one war correspondent found himself in a few years ago.

Astonishingly, he and the man who attempted to murder him actually ended up having a drink together, toasting to the fact the sniper was “such a bad shot“.

So maybe it is a joke after all. A very black humoured one.

You can hear more details of this unbelievable incident and other stories from the unique and incredible lives of journalists who risk their lives to report on conflicts in War Correspondents at The Old Town Hall next week.

Created by critically acclaimed composer Helen Chadwick and Olivier award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett, now working with Sting on a musical, the 70-minute show tells the stories of five journalists through song and movement, with extracts from interviews and poems about war.

Helen says: “It’s quite fast moving and there’s several things happening at once sometimes. It’s quite impressionistic, but there are stories running through it.

“One is of a Georgian woman reporting on the Russian conflict in 2008. She was held at gunpoint by a gang of men who wanted her car and she suffered quite a lot of stress after that. She is an extraordinary woman.

“Another Italian woman was taken hostage in Iraq even though she was very anti-American and was reporting on how bad the bombing was.“

Helen plays the Georgian reporter, and along with four other performers, sings the 30 or so songs she has written, ranging in length from a few seconds to a few minutes, performed a capella. But she says they have been careful not to make the show about specific correspondents or create characetures of them, but rather capture the struggles they go through.

The Hackney resident’s interest in the subject was sparked by a chance meeting with photographer Jon Staul while in Chilli with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

She says: “He had worked in the Chechnyan war and is just a normal bloke doing extraordinary work and risking his life to get these stories out.

“That really struck me.“

Helen and show designer Miriam Nabarro spent six years tracking down and interviewing correspondents with experience of conflicts in Iraq, Chechnya, Georgia, Afghanistan, Liberia and Bosnia, including famous former BBC reporter Martin Bell.

“What really surprised me was I always thought a journalist’s job was to be objective and present both sides, which they do,“ says the 57-year-old.“

But what came across is how passionate they are about the people, civilians, being injured, and their frustration that the world and media’s attention for stories is so short.“

They decided to bring to the show to the stage this spring to coincide with the anniversary of World War One and started intensive rehearsals five weeks ago, with the first performance in Birmingham last week.

Although Helen has been in the audience at The Old Town Hall before, this will be her first time performing there and she says: “I’m really looking forward to it.

“I think anyone interested in theatre, music or dance will enjoy it.“

There will be a post-performance talk and Q&A session with Helen and the cast.

  • The Old Town Hall, High Street, Old Town, Hemel Hempstead, May, 8 and 9, 8pm. Details: 01442 228091, oldtownhall.co.uk