A Kynren volunteer took her partner's breath away in rather unconventional fashion when she stamped on his stomach during a battle scene in a popular North East performance.
Kynren volunteers Ruth Stapleton and Grant Younger made a lasting impression on each other during rehearsals for the annual show. And now there's excitement in the air about whether the couple could host the first Kynren wedding.
Grant said: "We've had lots of people from the show saying that, suggesting the Arches Hall - the dining hall at Kynren - as the perfect location with its outdoor terracing and views over the lake. We'll have to wait and see. We want to wait until the time is right, but it would be the perfect place for it."
Ruth and Grant both joined the show in 2016. But Ruth explained that it took a little while for the couple to notice each other - and when they did Grant was dressed as Slash from Guns N’ Roses.
Ruth, 31, said: "I didn't notice him in the first couple of seasons because there are so many volunteers. I had first spotted him at an after-show 80s fancy dress party, when he was dressed as Slash, from rock band Guns N’ Roses. He had long hair, glasses and a guitar and I recognised him on site at Kynren the next day and thought 'he's canny'."
She added: "During a rehearsal in a barn for one of the battle scenes I trod on him and left a dusty footprint on his T-shirt. I apologised to him and he seemed to take it well!"
Despite those awkward beginnings, Cupid's arrow struck and five years on the couple remain firmly in love – not only with each other, but also with Kynren, which is performed live each summer in Bishop Auckland.
Ruth had previously been a professional actress with various touring companies, but was so taken with Kynren that she decided to settle in her home town to pursue her love of theatre, whilst working in a care home by day. After more rehearsals together, in which Grant took up a role as a Viking, they began seeing each other socially through mutual friends.
Ruth added: "We went out for drinks and when he was preparing for his diving exam as part of the show, he’d come over to my house so I could test him. It really helped to strengthen our relationship.
"Kynren rehearsals are our date night. It’s something that we both love doing and although we may not see each other too much during the evening, we’ll always check in to make sure the other one is having a good night."
Whilst Ruth features in numerous scenes as a dancer, Grant has fully embraced his role, acquiring a Viking tattoo and buying axes and swords to decorate the couple’s home. And Ruth has been so supportive of Grant that she once took a night off from a performance and bought her own ticket so she could watch the scene when he emerges from the lake.
Ruth said: "I was shielding my eyes, I couldn't look. I know what's involved in the stunt so I was so relieved to see him come out of the water. When I'm in the show our scenes tend to overlap but I always have a peek over the wall to make sure he's OK."
Grant became part of the diving team as a Viking after initially helping to build stone walls and doorways and carrying out repairs on the various sets in the early days of the epic show. He also helped to build the Blacksmith’s Forge which later formed part of the Viking Village.
The 42-year-old said: "I would often spend time making knives and arrows in the forge and Ruth would always do a pre-lap of Kynren before the shows, so she’d come round and see us. On one occasion I wasn't there so when Ruth came around, another volunteer told her she could bypass our bit so as not to waste her time!
"We both absolutely love the show – I’ve always said they’ll have to carry me out in a box before I stop doing it."
Kynren will be performed on seven consecutive summer Saturdays, starting on July 29. Tickets and more information at www.kynren.com
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