The British in Exeter (1997) was written by Mark Beeson and directed by Deborah Marsh and Mark Beeson. This play was part of the Rural and Urban project, in an effort to bring together country and town communities and ultimately show that humans may face the same challenges no matter where they live. The British in Exeter follows the days leading up to the arrival in Exeter of the Saxon King Athelstan. This arrival caused the expulsion of the British population that had been living there, enjoying equal rights and privileges with the  Saxons. Seemingly unresolvable conflicts of race, culture and class are solved when a lifeline of the hills is offered as an escape from the pressure of the city.