Review

A review of ‘PEAT’ performed by MED at Moretonhampstead

After reviewing numerous plays by this incredibly inspiring theatre group this reviewer was delighted to be asked to again go along to another Dartmoor-related performance by the MED company. Dartmoor based arts organisation, MED Theatre, has addressed environmental issues in many of their plays over the years, including topics such as Climate change, Global warming, Environmental emergency – the list goes on, yet still the predictions for our planet’s long-term future are disheartening and worrying. This time the story was a thought-provoking, but nonjudgemental take on the challenging issue of tackling a topic that some of us may be aware of but which seems to get very little media attention – peat. Dartmoor is a peat upland where the climate-saviour cousin of trees, peat, is now subject to significant attention by various authorities, bodies and organisations. Peat boglands, particularly when wet, isolate and hide away carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in vast amounts. A South West partnership project which is in the process of restoring the drying peatlands on both Dartmoor and Exmoor to their ideal wet state, has brought the issue of peat to the surface in recent years and a confliction of ideas and thoughts has arisen. Peat is clearly important, but why write a play about it? MED Theatre’s work centres around the ecology, folklore and history of Dartmoor National Park and neighbouring rural areas and peat is a prominent feature of the landscape of Dartmoor. Always keen to use theatre to disseminate knowledge and encourage healthy debates, MED Theatre wanted to bring the true nature and wonder of peatlands to the public eye and make better known the important role that they could play in their fight against climate change. The play featured characters from various key professions and offered each field of expertise an opportunity to put forward their case. To have the ability to remain independent but still managing to engage a wide and diverse audience is one of MED Theatre’s great skills. Interweaving the lives and heritage of generations of Dartmoor dwellers with the ‘interlopers’ from the city with their science and ‘new ideas’ gave a magical performance. The song of the thrush and the humour of the fox were real highlights which lifted the serious tones of the story. The audience was left with the overall ability to make up their own minds based on the multitude of opinions from the various agencies represented by the players. There was of course poignancy to the evening following the recent death of the Artistic Director of MED – Mark Beeson, an acquaintance of this reviewer for 20 years. The players put on a performance of which Mark would have been truly delighted. Through his guidance, support and love the company has evolved from a tradition of original community plays using local performers, composers, musicians, set designers, costume makers, choreographers back stage technicians and writers. The MED theatre productions are inspired by Dartmoor’s industrial history, striking topography and distinctive ecology combined with the contemporary social challenges faced by residents of the national park. The whole cast and team, and especially Mark, are to be congratulated for another excellent evening’s entertainment, education and enlightenment, and this reviewer, for one, is looking forward to their next production as always!

After the final showing of the play and when the rapturous applause quietened a simple easel with a beautiful image of Mark by renowned Dartmoor photographer Chris Chapman was brought out in a fitting and heart-warming tribute to a man whose life blood was and still is Dartmoor. The outpouring of emotion, joy and applause was a very fitting conclusion and an assurance that Marks soul and spirit will continue to live through MED Theatre.