Award-winning outdoor epic Kynren is promising "six spectacular performances of Kynren" as it prepares for its return to County Durham next month.
The showpiece event, full name Kynren - an epic tale of England, had a special early outing in June with a one-off production to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend. And this treat for spectators included such extras as a pre-show concert of live jazz on the lake and a rousing singalong of God Save The Queen.
Now it is preparing to make a comeback on August 6 for its usual summer night run, with the action playing out on its giant outdoor stage at Bishop Auckland on Saturday nights until September 10. Produced by 11Arches, a charity, Kynren rockets through 2,000 years of history with colourful set pieces ranging from charging jousters on horseback to invading Vikings in longboats and from major battle scenes to local industrial achievements.
Read more: Review of Kynren's special Jubilee show
Helping to bring history alive in its 8,000-seater tribune 'theatre' - which offers panoramic views - will be a cast of around 1,000 volunteers and animals. Performances, which need dark skies to better show up scenes such as flaming torches and the famous firework finale, will have earlier start times as the season advances.
Here are the performance dates and times to note. For more information about booking tickets see here.
Saturday, August 6 - gates open 6pm; performance 8.30pm-10pm
Saturday, August 13 - gates open 6pm; performance 8.30pm-10pm
Saturday, August 20 - gates open 5.30pm; performance 8pm-9.30pm
Saturday, August 27 - gates open 5.30pm; performance 8pm-9.30pm
Saturday, September 3 - gates open 5pm; performance 7.30pm-9pm
Saturday, September 10 - gates open 5pm; performance 7.30pm-9pm
Tickets - the cost is from £26 for adults and from £16 for under 18s. A £1 booking fee applies per ticket. Children aged three and under can attend for free if sitting on an adult’s knee.
Anne-Isabelle Daulon, chief executive of 11Arches, said: “We are delighted to be staging six performances during the summer holidays, following on from the success of our Jubilee show in June. Kynren is a wonderful spectacle which appeals to all ages."
The show begins with a boy called Arthur who is seen kicking a football through a window of a hunting lodge at Auckland Castle. The scene is said to echo a real-life event that took place in the 1880s, when a young cleric’s similar accident when playing with a ball led to the retired Bishop of Durham banishing football in the castle grounds. And that in turn, says Kynren, prompted the birth of Bishop Auckland FC – one of the most successful amateur football clubs of all time.
Spectators will then watch Arthur step into a Gatehouse of Time before the story then takes in the likes of the Romans, the Norman Conquest, English Civil War, the Age of Steam, the First World War Christmas truce and the Queen’s Coronation.
Kynren offers a pre-booked Park and Ride bus service and there is designated parking for Blue Badge Holders, subject to availability. Gates to the site open two and a half hours before the start of each show and visitors can buy food and drink.
While an earlier added attraction, the Viking Village, will not be open this year, the Jubilee show's jazz by the lake will be making a comeback. For more information see here, email enquiries@11arches.com or call 01388 436033.
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