For nearly 50 years there has been a theatre club at RAF Lyneham outside Wootton Basset but now it is set to produce its final play as the station closes. Sadly RAF Lyneham has become famous in recent years as the repatriation airfield for soldiers killed abroad, a role that has now been taken over by RAF Brize Norton. The club is a member of RAFTA, the RAF Theatrical Association, and one of its members recently directed the bi-annual RAFTA project which this year was Return to the Forbidden Planet at the J2 in Cambridge.
Operating in The Juliana Goss theatre the club has been one of RAFTA's most succesful clubs and also home to many of the RAFTA One Act Play Fesitvals (NDFA affiliated). But now, with the station closing, the theatre, and the theatre club, have come to their last production. For this final flourish they have chosen Wyrd Sisters, Terry Prachett's take on Macbeth adapted for stage by Stephen Briggs and always a popular piece. The show is on 24th to 26th November, the venue is small and on the base but the experience is worth it!
This talented club, which includes serving, ex-service and civilian members, should be rightly proud of its history and achievements .. I'm sure that this final show will be up there with the best .... and who knows what might happen when the base is taken over, we may see a new theatre club emerge, like a phoenix from the ashes.
1 Dec 11: Update ... the show was postponed due to safety issues in the box ... it now looks possible that the last show may not happen .... how sad
