Abstract

Memorials all over Europe became sites of ritual performances of mourning and remembering by families and local communities during the twentieth century, particularly on important anniversaries (Winter). By examining performances commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Dam Busters raid commissioned by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 2013 and the history of Bomber Command commissioned by the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in 2015, 2017 and 2018, this chapter examines how dramatic performance can add to participants’ experiences of official commemoration events and, if appropriate, either reinforce or question the audience’s assumptions during such occasions.