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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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