Review: The Beanfield

At the height of Thatcher’s government, a group of travellers – men, women and children – defy an injunction barring them from celebrating the Stonehenge Free Festival, and make their way southwards towards Wiltshire. In 2015, a group of young actors seek to stage a re-enactment of what happened next: a brutal crackdown by police resulting in bloody violence and the arrests of over 200 people, the event that later became known as ‘The Battle of the Beanfield’.

On a projector screen, we witness the group’s research, interviews with policemen, travellers and journalists who witnessed the events that day – and the group’s attempts to re-enact the so-called battle. Simultaneously, the company evoke images of a recent visit to the Stonehenge summer solstice on stage. They work fluidly together, sharing lines, keeping the energy high, and engaging with the audience.

 Young company Breach were formed in 2015 by a group of students from Warwick University, a company that has since gone on to achieve a tremendous success at the Edinburgh Festival

Young company Breach were formed in 2015 by a group of students from Warwick University, a company that has since gone on to achieve a tremendous success in at the Edinburgh Festival, and are currently on a national tour. The show was mentioned by Guardian theatre critic Lyn Gardener in a piece about the strength of political theatre from Warwick, alongside graduate companies Barrel Organ and Walrus.

The story is as much about the company’s devising process as it is about the events of June 1985. Their attempts to re-enact the battle are met by hostility from the residents who block their attempts to find the Beanfield. “It’s a very sore subject around here.” They are told, “There are raw wounds.”

Breach blend documentary with new writing, creating a piece that connects the political with the personal, and is intellectually and emotionally engaging.

On film we are shown the company’s decision-making processes, the stresses and conflicts that inevitably rise in the artistic process. That the actors have emerged from the process with a strong bond is evident from the way they work together – supportive, bouncing off of each other’s energy, all serving the show as an ensemble. After a relatively long run, the company have remained fresh, and the piece is as relevant and exciting as ever.

The strength of The Beanfield lies in its form as well as its content. Breach blend documentary with new writing, creating a piece that connects the political with the personal, and is intellectually and emotionally engaging. The many strands of the narrative contrast and coalesce to form a seamless and interconnected whole.

After a relatively long run, the company have remained fresh and the piece is as relevant and exciting as ever.

Speaking to the performers after the show, you get a strong sense of their continued passion for political theatre, and a desire to raise awareness about the little-known historical event. Their personalities are reflected in the piece, and in the end it’s just as much about them as it is about the Beanfield.

Originally staged in traverse, the only downside to this particular performance was the space – it was difficult for the piece to connect directly with the audience in the large confines of the proscenium Birmingham REP stage. In addition, one small technical difficulty momentarily disturbed the rhythm and momentum of the piece. However, the piece was strong enough to withstand these obstacles, and the cast pulled off an engaging and energetic performance.