ED2015 4/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

The Beanfield (Breach)

By Megan Wallace | Published on Saturday 22 August 2015

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Battle of the Beanfield, an incidence of police violence against new age travellers on their way to the Stonehenge Free Festival. In an act of commemoration, ‘The Beanfield’ incorporates live action with video to present a recreation of the event, paralleling it with modern day celebrations at the festival. Breach presents an unflinching portrait of a generation of modern youth, disconnected and jaded, taking for granted the historical and social significance of the free festival. However, the main focus of the piece is the phenomenon of police violence: the inevitability of brutality, if men are armed and put in a volatile situation against vulnerable opponents.

theSpace on the Mile, until 22 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]