We are delighted to announce the theme for our 2020-21 season: In Common is a special season of films and plays celebrating Merton’s local history
Wimbledon Common will be 150 years old in 2021 – and Mitcham Common will have its 130th birthday.
We are delighted to announce that the Young Actors Company has been commissioned by the Conservators of Wimbledon Common to create a play celebrating these important anniversaries.
Celebrating our beautiful outdoor spaces, a lifeline over the past eight months, the project – currently in the research stage – has already uncovered hidden trasure.
We’ve unearthed stories of duels, brawls and bare-knuckle fights; of highway robbery at gunpoint; of suffragettes marching for equality; visits by kings and queens; and a long-running feud between ordinary folk and the local Lord of the Manor.
Our Act One and Two groups will both be involved with the play, while Act Three is making an original 40-minute film drama set on the two commons.
We’ll be making a trailer for the play for release at Christmas, and will premiere a 20-minute excerpt live at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on March 27 2021, before an invited audience.
We will perform a full-length version of the play – with music and songs – in early July 2021.
Local schools will also be invited to participate in the In Common project, creating art, music, poetry and photography which celebrates the rich history of these well-loved local outdoor spaces.
Act Three’s film will debut in July 2021.
In spite of the challenges theatre continues to face, this season is our most exciting yet – and we can’t wait to share it with you!
Share your story with us
Act Three are putting together an online Oral History day, on 8th November as part of the In Common project. They’re interested in interviewing people local to both Mitcham & Wimbledon Commons who have stories to tell. It might be how you met your partner, where you played as a child, what you saw during the blitz or a thousand other things… If you would like to share your story contact andrewalty@wctt.org.uk We’d love to hear from you!