Dunham Massy (2015)
To commemorate the armistice and the end of the Sanctuary from the Trenches, a special promenade performance event was created. This included a mixture of National Trust volunteers leading audiences on guided routes, including to parts of the Hall usually off-limits to visitors. Along the way, audiences learned more about the history of the hospital as well as spy upon characters depicting moments from the hospital’s history, including a scene inspired by an archive letter about the moment peace was declared in which a patient remarked: “well boys, perhaps it’s peace.”
The groups of audience finally came together in the Great Hall, where one final scene took place before everyone shared food and drink, based on the armistice dinner menu of 1918 taken from the archive.
Created and directed by Andy Barry
Including scenes written by Becky Prestwich, Gareth George, Andrew Sheridan, Lee Thompson, Adam Usden
Company Kate Benfield, Steve Cooper, Elinor Dixon, Amie George, Gareth George, Johanna Hinton, Taran Knight, Kathy McArdle, Alexander McCoy, Alex Phelps, Benedict Shaw, Eve Shotton
Costumed Interpreters Margaret O’Brien, Walter Reid
Tour Guides Dave Black, Jon Carpenter, Jenny Gillan, Sharon Goodhead, Pauline Golden, Pauline Mills, Kath Rigby, Rob Whelan
Pianist Susan Thompson
Produced by the National Trust (Katie Taylor, Jessica Webb)
Andy Barry 