COMING TO LEITH HILL PLACE 4th OCTOBER
In 1938, an audience gathered in the grounds of Milton Court, the Elizabethan manor house just outside Dorking. To a fanfare of trumpets, a narrator entered — and the performance of England’s Pleasant Land began. This community pageant was created by local writer E. M. Forster and composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Through music, performance and spectacle, it explored the story of England’s rural landscape across a thousand years of history.
Nearly ninety years later, Whose Green and Pleasant Land? revisits many of the same questions for a new century.
This is not a revival or adaptation of Forster and Vaughan Williams’ original work. Instead, it is an entirely new bold community-created performance that responds to contemporary issues, experiences and voices, asking what land, landscape and belonging mean today.
From ancient common land to the housing crisis, from questions of access and ownership to stewardship and environmental responsibility, the project explores who shapes our countryside, who benefits from it, who feels welcome within it, and what kind of future we want to create together.
Created by theatre company Damn Cheek Productions in partnership with the National Trust, this pageant-performance brings together local residents, community groups, theatre-makers, choirs, musicians and storytellers. Oral histories gathered from throughout the Surrey Hills sit alongside live music led by Maya McCourt, contemporary electronic composition by Jack Kingslake, a brand new script by Tony Earnshaw and newly commissioned spoken word by Rosie May Jones.
OUR Pageant
A community-centred celebration of place, people and possibility, combining music, drama, movement and spoken word — performed and brought to life by the people from across Dorking and the Surrey Hills.
Created through a process of collaboration and co-creation, the pageant brings together local residents, schools, choirs, musicians, performers and community groups to share the stories, experiences and perspectives that shape this place. Guided by professional artists but created with and by local people, it is both a celebration and a conversation.
Drawing inspiration from the landscapes, heritage and communities of the Surrey Hills, the pageant explores themes of identity, belonging, power, stewardship and social justice. Alongside reflections on our shared past, it asks urgent questions about the present and future: Who has shaped this landscape? Who has access to it? Who feels they belong? And what responsibilities do we have to future generations?
Through a vibrant blend of performance, music and storytelling, Whose Green and Pleasant Land? transforms local voices into a unique theatrical event — a living portrait of the Surrey Hills and the people who call it home.
Rooted in local history, shaped by contemporary voices and looking boldly towards the future, this is a pageant for today.
Be Part of It
Step into history. Find your voice. Be part of something extraordinary.
Are you curious about the stories hidden within our landscape? Would you like to perform, create, connect and collaborate with others in your community? What if theatre wasn't simply something you watched, but something you belonged to?
We are inviting people of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels to help create this ambitious site-specific performance at Leith Hill Place. Whether you have years of performing experience or have never stepped onto a stage before, there is a place for you here.
As well as performing roles, there will be opportunities to contribute behind the scenes through creative, technical, organisational and support roles. Mentoring opportunities will also be available, enabling participants to work alongside professional artists while developing confidence, skills and experience.
This project is about local people coming together to explore the stories, challenges and possibilities that connect us to this landscape and to one another. Together, we will create something ambitious, meaningful and uniquely rooted in this place.
The journey begins with a relaxed and exploratory workshop 18th July, followed by Saturday / Sunday rehearsals throughout September, leading to performances at Leith Hill Place on 4 October 2006.
Whether you want to perform, create, support or simply try something new, we'd love to hear from you.
Call Artistic Director Darren Cheek for an informal chat: 07956 891110 or email inof@damncheek.co.uk
