Dartmoor Prison brought to life in original play by Moretonhampstead pupils

Local history took centre stage last month when Year 5 and 6 pupils at Moretonhampstead Primary School brought the eerie past of Dartmoor Prison to life through a unique theatre project.

Thanks to a creative partnership with MED Theatre, students became playwrights, performers, and producers in the charity’s flagship “Playwriting and Performance” programme. The result was The Hidden Secrets of Dartmoor Prison – an original play that imagined modern-day children from Moretonhampstead and Princetown encountering ghosts from the prison’s past, including figures dating back to the Napoleonic Wars.

“I would never have written a script if you weren’t there,” said one pupil who took part. “I’m definitely doing it again.”

The performance offered a powerful and imaginative way for students to explore their local heritage, particularly the history of Dartmoor Prison, a forbidding structure that has stood on the moor since 1809. Originally built to house French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, the prison later held American prisoners from the War of 1812 and eventually became a high-security facility in the UK criminal justice system. Its long and complex past, filled with tales of hardship, escape attempts, and isolation, provided rich material for the students’ dramatic storytelling.

The entire play, from plot and character development to scripting, rehearsals, and performance, was created by the children, who operated as their own miniature theatre company. The immersive experience empowered them to take creative ownership and develop skills in writing, teamwork, and performance.

The project was supported by The Helen Foundation and managed by arts education charity Daisi, with vital additional backing from the school’s Friends of Moretonhampstead School (FOMS) fundraising team.

“This kind of project shows just how powerful creative learning can be,” said a representative from MED Theatre. “Not only did the pupils gain new skills, but they also engaged meaningfully with their local history in a way that was completely their own.”

The production marked a memorable and inspiring blend of theatre and heritage, demonstrating how the arts can bring the past vividly to life for a new generation.