Come Yew In!

Have you ever wondered how Strangers Hall got its name? Or why our football club has a canary on its badge? It is all to do with migration. The first wave of Flemish weavers, escaping religious persecution, arrived here at the city's invitation in 1565. By 1582 this influx of 'Strangers' accounted for almost one third of the entire population of Norwich.

Partly as a celebration of our city's long history of welcoming Strangers, and partly as a reminder of our moral obligation to respond appropriately to global displacement caused by war and religious strife, theatre group The Common Lot, local charity New Routes and a whole host of funding partners have come together to produce Come Yew In! a 90 minute proud history of Strangers in Norwich.

The arrival of the Strangers began a mere sixteen years after the quelling of Kett's Rebellion, a local insurgency prompted by land enclosures during the rule of Edward VI, and recreated by The Common Lot in last year's production, 1549. And it is at Ketts Heights, that strategic viewpoint from where Robert Kett's 10,000 followers besieged the city, that I have come to watch this afternoon's performance of Come Yew In!

What deceptively starts as a local history lecture from Professor Kirby Bedon (played by Simon Floyd) rapidly turns into something completely different. The Common Lot have their own agenda for the performance. Caretaker 'The Old Gal' (Eve Pandolfi) is worried that she now won't have enough time to tidy up the site afterwards, especially when she learns that they propose to re-enact one thousand years of local history. “Well, that could take almost an hour”, she remonstrates.

What follows, though, is a fast-moving but well-paced tale that begins with the Romans setting up camp at Venta Icenorum in AD60 (Old Gal – “tha's right near the car boot at Arminghall”); takes us through the arrival of the Strangers; and finally brings us bang up to date with the arrival of refugees from war-torn countries and the influx of migrant workers from within the EEC.

Through a mixture of songs, drama and comedy we are treated to a musical homage to the present-day cultural melting pot that is Magdalen Street; a reminder of the early restrictions and rules placed upon Strangers in response to local suspicions and concerns; the arrival in the 1930's of Italian singing landlady Black Anna at the Jolly Butchers in Ber Street; and a reminder of how our community responded following the fire-bombing of a Romanian food-store in Norwich last year. In between we are treated to a piece from children of Lionwood Junior School, and a musical contribution from Moussa Ibrahim, a recent arrival from Sudan.

We are also reminded of the strong women figures from our city's history – the likes of Harriet Martineau, Amelia Opie, and Elizabeth Fry, and also the companies that enhanced the city's prosperity – the likes of Colman, Jarrold, and Gurney. And the fact that, in 2010, women were finally allowed to be admitted as Freemen of Norwich.

But Come Yew In! also takes the time to acknowledge the shaming discovery made during excavations on the site of Chapelfield shopping mall in 2004. 17 bodies were recovered from an old well shaft dating from the 12th century. They were shown to all be from one Jewish family, serving to remind us that historic persecution and cruelty still haunts us, even from 900 years ago.

As does the tale of 12 year old William of Norwich, whose body was found on Mousehold Heath in 1144, prompting the earliest recorded accusations of blood libel, and eventually leading to all Jews being expelled from Britain in 1290.

All of this, and more, I learnt from my 90 minutes stood in the dappled sunlight of Ketts Heights. So, whilst Come Yew In! stands as a celebration of the city and people of Norwich, it also has a strong and resounding message to remind us of our flawed past.

The Common Lot have managed to conjure up a show that combines the entertainment of traditional music-hall with an educational and thoroughly enjoyable interactive experience, and in so doing provide the perfect antidote to xenophobic propaganda and rhetoric.

And for that reason I would urge every one of you to make the effort to see this show. It is being performed at a number of locations, from now until July 9th. Locations include Cow Tower, Peterson Park, Cadge Road Community Centre, Jubilee Park, and the Whiffler Theatre in Castle Gardens.

Check press for details.