Be Amazing Arts are excited to be working in partnership with Eden Camp on a very exciting project for August Bank Holiday weekend.
After hundreds of wartime love letters between Naval Sailor, Bert, and his sweetheart Betty, were loaned to Eden Camp, the team at Be Amazing Arts were so touched by the content of the letters that they needed to bring this story to life.
Rehearsals are now underway with the Young Company that is made up of 12 -18-year-olds from all across the area Yorkshire Coast, Ryedale and Hull.
Letters from Betty is a promenade performance in which the audience will be completely immersed in the show whilst experiencing the sights and sounds of the amazing venue, Eden Camp. There will also be multimedia elements incorporated into the show, audience members will receive headsets to listen to the cast and will also have the opportunity to watch various bespoke films throughout the performance.
The cast features two professional actors and the Be Amazing Arts Young Company made up of 12-18 year olds from Scarborough, Ryedale, York and Hull.
The Young Company rehearsals are now underway working on the immersive promenade scenes before the professional actors join for rehearsals on site at Eden Camp later in the Summer.
James Aconley, Producer & Co-Founder Be Amazing Arts: ‘‘This is a really exciting opportunity for Be Amazing Arts. We are over the moon to be working with Eden Camp on this project. These incredible letters really give you an insight into how it felt to be a young couple living through the Second World War. I think sometimes it can be difficult to relate to historical events and imagine how it must have felt to be there at that time but having these amazing first hand accounts really does bring it home.’’
Ann, daughter of Bert and Betty said: ‘‘I originally placed my parents’ love-letters at Eden Camp for their safe-keeping. My father gave them to me shortly before he died. They were in two lots. Betty’s letters to Bert were in a big, jumbled pile in the loft in an open box and could easily have been thrown out with other paper rubbish up there. But Betty had organised all hers from Bert into a sealed metal box, which were kept under their bed until they died. Bert gave them to me as I am a writer and he hoped I would write about them, knowing they were an important record of the time.’’
‘‘I was intrigued and moved to discover myself, named ‘Ann’ in the letters, as the baby they longed for for several years before I made an appearance!
Both of them would have loved opportunities being given for youngsters to learn performing skills, with professionals through Be Amazing Arts. They greatly enjoyed the theatre themselves and would have welcomed young people being encouraged away from their TVs phones etc. Encouraged to make a contribution to live dramatic art and to engage with people outside of themselves. To work alongside professionals means they will have to maintain high standards, integrity and commitment, and Betty believed that was the way to live.’’
Letter’s from Betty runs from 27th– 30th August 6pm, 7pm, 8pm & 9pm each evening at Eden Camp, Malton.