Out & About September 2017

OA feature

O n two evenings at the beginning of September, as daylight begins to fade, a large cast of local actors, singers, musicians, artists and re-enactors will set Greenham Common alive, as the site of a dramatic theatre of war becomes a spectacular theatre of performance, light projection and song. Backed by and celebrating Greenham Trust, which has enriched the Newbury area by distributing more than £35m to local good causes over the past 20 years, Greenham: 100 Years War and Peace will portray the common’s broader history through highlights of the times of war and peace that have woven through the last century. It is a story both rich and fascinating and the trust wants to involve as many local people as possible in the project and to explain its significance locally, nationally and worldwide. The stories of the common will be told at this free outdoor event on the runway of the former RAF base and home to the USAF during the Cold War, by hundreds of cast members from our Newbury community, led by a professional production team, Rosa Productions, who manage outstanding festivals, arts and outdoor events. The audience for the spectacular performance on the common will see moments of war and peace from the 100 years, experience the natural world of the common from the 1930s, hear stories of the Second World War, US forces, the arrival of the Ugandan Asian refugees and, of course, the Cold War and Peace Camps and the more recent return to nature.

The writer of the piece is Newbury’s very own Beth Flintoff, now living in Kingsclere, who is more than aware of the common’s sense of place. “I think it’s a miracle that Greenham Common exists in its current state. It used to be a militarised zone, but now people walk their dogs there, and I can go for a six-mile run around the perimeter,” she says. “I love that the whole park is run by a charity that simply gives everything it makes back to the community; what an incredible thing that is. To have the chance to celebrate this is such a privilege, and even more so because I have a deeply-held belief in the power of community theatre. “This event isn’t about me or even about art, it’s about the local people making it. It’s about the stories we are telling of the people who lived here; their hopes and fears, their disagreements and their triumphs. It’s about a great big coming-together of our community on a beautiful piece of land. “One of the community participants said this was an opportunity that only comes around once in a lifetime, which made me feel very proud.” Beth’s credentials are perfect for this production. She grew up in Newbury and her parents still live here. She left for university to study English Literature and went on to drama school, after which she juggled being an actor with running a small touring theatre group. “I lived in London for a while, but came back when I was cast in Cinderella at the Corn Exchange – where I met my future husband – and stayed on.” 

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