Wartime love letters brought back to life

We tell stories, provide artistic opportunities and inspire

the next generation of creatives through unique and

explorative performance.

04.08.21

LETTERS FROM BETTY- A PERFORMANCE BASED ON REAL LOVE LETTERS BETWEEN TWO

WARTIME SWEETHEARTS

These days it is hard to imagine not being able to contact anyone instantly with mobile

phones at your fingertips. It is even harder to imagine building an entire relationship whilst

your country is at war through handwritten letters.

This bank holiday weekend 27th-30th August Be Amazing Arts are working in partnership with

Eden Camp Modern History Museum on a truly unique theatre performance Letter’s from

Betty.

Letters from Betty is a promenade performance based on hundreds of wartime love letters

between Naval Sailor Bert and his sweetheart Betty.

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.

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.’’

Letters from Betty runs from 27th- 30th August 6pm, 7pm, 8pm & 9pm each evening at Eden

Camp, Malton.

https://beamazingarts.co.uk/letters-from-betty/

Letters from Betty

Inspired by the love letters of Bert and Betty, Letters From Betty is a promenade multimedia

live performance told from a Naval sailor’s perspective, of day to day life during

World War 2. We follow Bert’s journey from Navy training to active duty during the war, and

are given insights to his growing relationship with a young Brum lass called Betty.

The show is a fusion of history and modern storytelling, revealing the thoughts and

reflections of some of the individuals who lived through such turmoil, their experiences

though war time and their dreams for the future.

27th- 30th August 6pm, 7pm, 8pm & 9pm each evening

Adults: £16.50 Concessions: £15

All tickets include twilight access to Eden Camp Museum 6pm-10pm

https://edencamp.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/34149?catID=34276&

Be Amazing Arts

Since 2019, we have been making creative arts work and projects including professional

theatre productions, youth theatre opportunities and creative arts workshops.

Productions- large scale theatre shows, to intimate productions in Fringe venues, we make

theatre.

Youth Theatre from- large scale Musical Theatre shows to devised issue based drama - and

everything in between!

Workshops- creative arts workshops for all ages - child to adult!

Eden Camp

Experience the sights, sounds and smells of life on the Home Front and the Front Line, all set

in the buildings and grounds of an original World War 2 Prisoner of War Camp.

Eden Camp Modern History Museum Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 6RT

Email: harriet@edencamp.co.uk Telephone: (01653) 697777