A long weekend of VE Day Commemorations in Ripon will conclude with a powerful and poignant event at Lister House. RTF and the Ripon Community Poppy Project are joining forces to present Bomb Happy – a double bill of new works telling the stories of Yorkshire Normandy Veterans in their own words.
“Bomb Happy is a slang phrase we use for being under fire for many days at a time… it does describe the condition you become.” D Day Veteran, Ken “Smudger” Smith.
The show will take place during the afternoon of Sunday 11 May, completing four days of events and activities to mark 80 years since Victory in Europe was announced.
The first half will see a screening of A Walk in the Park – a short film in the footsteps of Coldstream Guardsman Dennis “Hank” Haydock, beautifully shot on location at former WWII tank encampment in Duncombe Park.
In the second half, playwright Helena Fox and vocalist Natasha Jones bring to life the first-hand experiences of D-Day Veteran, Ken “Smudger” Smith.
Live/Wake/Repeat sensitively shows the lifelong impact of PTSD and sleep trauma through spoken word accounts and haunting acapella vocals, complete with black and white images from Ken’s personal photo collection.
We are proud to honour the stories of two ordinary Yorkshire lads who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. It is particularly appropriate to present this event in Lister House, the home of many retired veterans who have served their country in different, but always challenging, theatres of war.
At times humorous, at times harrowing, both film and spoken word performance will allow a close-up insight into life on the frontline and give a rare glimpse into life for someone beset by memories of war. A fitting end to Ripon’s weekend of remembrance and celebration.
