1960s UFO sighting that gripped a Stoke-on-Trent community inspires new play
An unassuming field next to a housing estate in Stoke-on-Trent is taking centre stage in the latest alien blockbuster – and it’s inspired by true events.
The new stage production, Bright Lights Over Bentilee, focuses on the event in which dozens of people on an estate in the town claimed to have witnessed bright lights in the sky and a UFO landing in the field next to their homes.
Sky News went to meet playwright and former Coronation Street star Deborah McAndrew, to discuss what happened on the 2nd of September 1967 and why she felt compelled to bring the story to life.
“What they saw was a large red saucer-shaped object about the size of a car,” she explained.
Some in the community claim they saw a large red saucer-shaped object about the size of a car in the sky. Pic: Andrew Billington Photography
On that night, just after 9pm there were eight separate sightings from people claiming to have seen a mysterious “glowing craft” which silently flew over the heads of residents.
Housewives, children, even a police officer said they saw it, that it changed colour and then dropped down into scrubland.
Former Corrie star Deborah McAndrew said she believes what people told her they saw
They claimed, as they set about searching through the fields for it, it then “took off and was bright white like a car headlight… and then just disappeared”.
McAndrew found herself delving into what happened after coming across some old news footage of interviews with residents at the time.
Pic: Andrew Billington Photography
Pic: Andrew Billington Photography
Fascinated by how locals seemingly went back to work the next day and carried on as normal, she started doing her own digging which included speaking with one of the young kids who’d chased it.
“When nothing happens it just gradually fades into myth… until some random playwright phones you up 50 years later and says ‘do you want to tell me about that UFO you saw?'” McAndrew explained.
Pic: Andrew Billington Photography
While she admits “there’s no way of knowing now what it was” the writer says “when people tell me they’ve seen things, I believe them”.
While doubters might speculate that, coming at the time of the space race, locals perhaps might have confused a UFO with a satellite, McAndrew points out: “It was a landing, it didn’t just fly in the sky, it came down and then took off again.”
Could TV shows be partly to blame? As sci-fi related culture took off, the MoD saw a gradual increase in reports of UFO sightings.
Pic: Andrew Billington Photography
Actress Polly Lister, who plays a housewife called Beverley in the play, says: “It would be very hard to completely write it off because every single one of those people, I believe, is telling the truth of what they saw.”
Eddy Westbury, who also stars in the drama, says: “You hear a lot of things people have seen in America… this one is particularly interesting purely because of all the accounts… completely different people, in different places… it wasn’t like [they] saw a green man jumping out of a vehicle, literally what they saw, what they experienced, they all seem to line up.”
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Did locals see something ‘out of this world?’
No doubt the truth is out there somewhere, but until then, they’ll have to make-do with the dramatised version which follows the community fall-out from that night.
Claybody Theatre’s Bright Lights Over Bentilee runs until 12 October at The Dipping House, Stoke.
British drama Adolescence has seen its lead stars all nominated for Golden Globe awards.
The drama, starring Stephen Graham, depicts the aftermath of the stabbing of a teenage girl, as a 13-year-old boy from her school is arrested for her murder. It was one of the most talked-about shows of the year.
Young Owen Cooper is up for best supporting actor. Pic:Netflix
Graham, along with Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty are all up for gongs. It follows a host of wins at the Emmys in September.
Receiving five nominations in total, the Netflix limited series was only beaten by HBO’s White Lotus, which got six nods, coming top in the TV category.
Cynthia Erivo was nominated for her role in the Wicked sequel, Wicked For Good, while British stars Gary Oldman, Helen Mirren and Aimee Lou Wood also got recognition for their roles in Slow Horses, Mobland and The White Lotus, respectively.
Mirren will also be awarded one of the Globe’s two lifetime achievement awards, the Cecil B DeMille Award, announced a few days before the ceremony in the New Year.
Emily Blunt picked up a surprise nomination for her role in The Smashing Machine, opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – who also got a nod for the sports biopic.
Tessa Thompson was recognised for her role in Hedda, a modern re-telling of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play.
Irish stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley were both nominated for Hamnet, the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s book about William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. The movie isn’t out in the UK until January.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the London premiere for Wicked: For Good
Ryan Coogler (L) and Michael B Jordan at the Sinners premiere. Pic: AP
Films, TV – and podcasts
Unlike other awards, the Globes cover both TV and film and are split by genre, falling into either the drama or comedy and musical category – meaning a wealth of nominees are in the running.
This year, there are 28 categories.
In the film category, One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, led the nominations with nine, followed by Norwegian comedy-drama Sentimental Value with eight, and vampire horror Sinners with seven.
Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from One Battle After Another.
Pic: Warner Bros/AP
KPop Demon Hunters continued its world domination with three nominations – best animated film, cinematic and box office achievement and original song – making an Oscar nod further down the line look more and more likely.
New to this year’s nominations is a category for podcasts. Selected from a long list of the 25 most-listened to shows, Good Hang With Amy Poehler, Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard and Call Her Daddy were among the casts that made the cut.
Sarah Jessica Parker will be honoured with the Carol Burnett Award.
Now in comeback mode, the Globes had previously faced criticism over a lack of diversity in the organisation, which led to the event being held behind closed doors in 2022.
The 83rd Golden Globes ceremony will take place in LA on 11 January, and will be hosted by US comedian Nikki Glaser for the second year running.
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